Strong bird, wounded wings
by TheDarkestHours
Summary: Weeks after Owen left Germany Teddy discovers she's pregnant with his baby. She is scared but also excited and wants to share this news with Owen. However, a big misunderstanding makes her retract until years later fate puts them back on the same path. How will Owen react to knowing that he had a child all these years? *ON HIATUS*
1. Chapter 1

*****ENGLISH IS NOT MY LANGUAGE*****

 **So,** **this is the fic I boasted so muhc about. If it flops miserably as my last fic let's pretend this never happened hehe.**

 **Let me know what you think of this first part :)**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 1**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

I'm lying on a tiny, uncomfortable bed in the cold ER of _my_ hospital, staring at the ceiling that opens to me like an immense white sheet on which I could write one by one all the feelings and emotions that are going through me.

I'm _dizzy_. Yes, I am; almost on the verge of throwing up right here.

I'm _confused_. Yes, I am; I had fainted just as I was explaining to a patient his condition.

I'm _scared_. Of course I am, never in my life had I fainted, everything was so fast and sudden that I didn't have time to hold on to anything.

I'm _sad_. That doesn't need confirmation.

Since that night I feel as if a light inside me had gone out, like a house in ruins, an accumulation of echoes, darkness and memories of the past, of better times, of happy times.

The constant beep of a cardiac monitor in the ER is lulling me to sleep. _Beep, beep, beep_. My eyelids feel so heavy. _Beep, beep, beep_. The strength is leaving my limbs. _Beep, beep, beep_. My mind is swinging like a tiny ship on the sea between consciousness and unconsciousness. _Beep, beep, beep_. Memories of that night begin to lurk in my head mixing with memories of those happy times. _Beep, beep, beep_. I'm struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Major Altman! We have your diagnosis ready!"

My eyes snap open. The shrill and loud voice of one of my residents manages to penetrate to the depths of my brain, pulling me back on alert in a matter of seconds. Next to her, Conrad, our head of plastics and my best friend, looks at me with something I can't figure out. Enthusiasm? Sweetness? Concern? I don't know.

"Thank heavens, I'm falling asleep on this uncomfortable piece of sponge". I answer while I try to sit on the bed supporting myself on my elbows.

"None of that Major Altman, we still have 3 surgeries to perform!" The resident responds me with a huge white smile that for a moment I find it uncomfortable to the extent of wanting to ask her to leave and take her positivism with her. I don't do it.

"Dr. Morris, could you leave me alone with Dr. Altman for a moment, please?" Without giving her time to answer Conrad is already turning the resident around and directing her to the other side of the curtain of my little cubicle. "If we need something we'll page you Dr. Morris".

Conrad sits next to me on the bed and takes me by the hand. "How do you feel? You gave us a big scare". His voice is soft, almost like a murmur.

"Better, thanks. And thanks for sending that girl away, her voice was getting on my nerves, and why does she keep calling me Mayor? Ugh!" I say as I drop on the pillows and cover my eyes with my arm.

"Maybe because that's your rank and you're the Chief of this whole damn _military_ hospital? She's being polite, Major Altman. Also, you love interns and residents".

"Yes, but not today. Today I want them all away from me, I've no patience to answer to their stupid questions".

Conrad lets out a giggle while caressing my knuckles with his thumb. I met Conrad when I moved to Germany, he was my first friend, or rather, he is my only friend. I met him at my favorite roasted chicken place and from the very first moment we clicked, it didn't happen to me with anyone else since Arizona, I don't know if the chemistry between us was really that big that we got along from the first moment, or the fact that I was still hurt by what had happened in Seattle, the loss of Henry, the way I left the city without saying goodbye to anyone but Owen and was in desperate search for a shoulder to cry on or simply his relaxed and carefree way of being that made me feel attracted to him, to his friendship.

Of course there couldn't be anything else between us, in the first place, because I didn't want to know anything about relationships and secondly because just a few weeks after we met he opened to me as gay. Maybe he noticed how much I was enjoying his presence that was like a breath of fresh air in the middle of my desolate existence, maybe he thought that I was into him or expecting something more, _attachment Barbie_ after all, so he decided declare his sexual orientation, not that it was a secret or that it bothered me. At all! So his confession was an unnecessary formality.

Our friendship grew more and more by the day, he told me about his life and I told mine, I told him about my parents, about Allison, Henry... _Owen_. And so little by little our friendship became more intimate, I became the sister he had lost and he in the brother I never had, both leaning on each other to cope with this heavy burden that some call life, making it much lighter and more bearable.

After that night with Owen his mere presence once again illuminated my insides, although not entirely, _that_ _night_ had marked me forever and I don't know if _something_ could completely illuminate my interior one day.

"Tell me what I have so that I can get out of this damn place! I can't believe I have my patients lying in these attempt of mattresses".

"You've been pretty moody lately".

"Me? Of course not!" I don't know why but for a moment I feel his words as a personal attack and a knot forms in my throat. You are crazy, Theodora. I drop my head back on the pillows.

"Of course you do... and I know why".

"Oh, so now you're a fortune-teller?"

"No, but I'm a hell of a doctor, although your diagnosis didn't require much analysis".

"Just tell me what I have Conrad, please!" I shudder internally at the sound of my voice, like a child throwing a tantrum. "Just spit it out, what is it? Anemia? It's that, isn't it? "

"No, it's not anemia".

"Then?"

He takes both my hands and looks me straight in the eyes. "Teddy… little bird". Oh no, he's using our nickname, he always uses it as a sign of affection, but under these circumstances I don't know if it's good or bad. "You are pregnant".

I let out a laugh but his face remains impassive and he just hands me my chart. I don't look at it, instead I nail my pleading eyes in his. "Conrad." His name comes from my lips more like an imploring, a plea for all this to not be true. He sees me with tenderness and why not, some pity. He knows that this is not the best time, he knows who's the father of this baby and under what circumstances it was conceived, he is still furious with Owen. As soon as I look at my chart I can't visualize anything since the tears cloud my eyes and fall on the sheet of paper.

"You know I wish this were under different circumstances, honey".

I toss the chart aside and I turn around bringing my knees to my chest, making myself small in the face of this huge feeling of fear and sadness. And I cry like never before, not even like when my parents died, or Alison or Henry, not even when Owen left.

"I can't do this, Conrad, I can't!" I say in a choked voice of sobs.

Conrad turns me gently by the shoulder and brings me to him, laying beside me on the tiny bed, pressing me hard against his chest, stroking my hair and kissing my forehead.

"Cry honey, cry all you want, I'm here".

After a few minutes crying against his chest at last my crying ceases enough to be able to speak again. "I can't do this Conrad; I don't want to do it". I whisper sobbing against his chest.

He changes his position and takes my soaked face in tears between his hands. "You _can't_ or you don't _want_?" I don't know what to answer. Is it not the same? As if reading my mind, he adds. "Because if you don't _want_ to, you know what the solution is, you are a physician..."

No! I would never do _that_ , I respect the women who decide to do that, but I don't think the same.

"You know what? We can't have this conversation here". He helps me get out of bed and put on my shoes, then puts his arm around my shoulders, I snuggle my head on his shoulder and we both leave the emergency room. On our way we ran into that annoying resident again.

"Mayor Altman, everything is ready to start with our evening rounds". She tells me with her shrill voice and before I can answer Conrad goes ahead.

"Please tell everyone that Major Altman won't be available for the rest of the day and neither will I".

"But..." the resident objected.

"Now you are in charge Dr. Morris, take advantage of the moment because maybe it will never happen again". Conrad answers and before she can object again we are already out of the ER.

All the way to my apartment we both remain silent, only the engine of my car and the music at a low volume can be heard. I can't believe that a human being, a baby, is growing inside me. It's too much for my head to fully process, at the moment I don't even know how I feel because the truth is I don't feel anything. When Conrad first gave me the news my first instinct was to cry, I was scared, but now? I'm not sad, I'm not happy, I don't know how I feel; the rational part of my brain tells me that it's only the product of the shock, that once the news sink into me my emotions will come out overflowing.

Once at home we both lay down in the sofa huddled, he places his hand on my belly and I flinch and pull off his hand with more aggressiveness than necessary, but he says nothing.

"So... Where did we leave our conversation?"

"You asked me if I didn't want or couldn't have this baby".

"And?"

"I want but I can't". I answer in a thin voice and my answer is more a question.

"Why not? You're still young, you have a great job, you've always wanted to be a mother. What's stopping you?"

"Don't you realize, Conrad? After how things ended between Owen and me... I... we are done, I kicked him out of here I-I-I can't".

"Of course you can love, you're going to call that bastard and you're going to tell him you're expecting his child, he also has responsibility in this".

"What if he doesn't want to know anything about me?"

He shifts and looks me in the eyes. "That's his loss, you don't need him honey, you are a hardworking woman, just check out your past, everything you've gone through, everything you've overcome and you're still here, standing up and being the most hard-working, selfless and kind woman of the world... you are a gem my love, and you deserve the world and more importantly you are _not_ alone, you have me, you and your baby will _always_ have me, do you understand? I'll be the cool, nice and sassy uncle Conrad!"

I can't do more than cry and throw myself into his arms, suddenly I don't feel so alone anymore because I'm not, I have Conrad... I'll have my baby. And just like that, with powerful force that blows my mind the news sinks in me... I have my baby, I will have my baby, I will be a mom. Now I know what I feel, yes, I'm scared, but I'm also immensely happy, I'll be a mom; I don't know if Owen wants to be part of this and that saddens me a little, but I'm happy, that dream that I had let go for years will finally come true, I'll have a baby.

"Conrad!" I sit on the sofa exclaiming like an excited girl.

"What?!" He asks me consfused.

"I'll be a mom!" I answer as if I've just found out.

"Yes?" He responds bewildered by my reaction.

"I'll have a baby!" I shriek.

"Yes, I told you that about an hour ago".

His confused expression causes me too much laughter and I laugh so hard that I can't control my body, I let my head fall back laughing with such force that soon my cheeks and belly muscles start to ache from the effort, but I still laugh.

"Teddy, honey, are you okay?"

"I'LL HAVE A BABY! Of course I'm fine!"

"Yes, you'll have a baby!"

"Oh my God Conrad, I'm so happy!"

"And I'm happy that you're happy... Oh my God, Teddy!"

"What?!"

"I'll be uncle!"

We both laugh out loud as we hug each other, I'm so happy that I allow myself to forget that I still have to inform a _certain_ person about the existence of a _certain_ tiny human. But I'll do that later, for now I want to enjoy this, I'll have a baby.

"Let's go!" I say, getting up from the sofa and pulling Conrad up by the hand.

"Where?"

"To dine, I'm starving".

"Honey, I can cook something for you here, out there it's freezing cold".

"I don't care, I'm starving and I want roasted chicken, I want a whole roasted chicken".

"Teddy..." He complains.

"You're not going to deny a craving to a pregnant woman, aren't you?"

He sighs and gets up from the sofa following me behind. I never thought that it would be so satisfying to play this card of the pregnant woman to get away with my will. Undoubtedly it is something that I'll get used to easily, maybe I won't say the same of morning sickness and breast tenderness, but I'll deal with it later, who knows and I can also use it to get away with my will.

* * *

 **So? Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2

*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****

 **Sorry that it took so long to update this, work, family and holidays kept me busy, plus i'm going back to college next month!**

 **I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter. You really make me smile and keep me motivated to keep updating.**

 **I don't know how long this fic will be, I do know it will be multi-chapter, the thing is that I started to write it entirely in a single word document without division of chapters, so maybe some will be longer and others shorter, at the moment my document has around 15K words, so yes, there is still a lot of this fic, so PLEASE, don't leave it flop and leave a review, follow, like. :)**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 2**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

Once at my favorite roast chicken place I keep my word and I eat _almost_ a whole chicken.

"Wow, you really meant it!" Conrad tells me, amazed to see me eat this way.

"I'm pregnant, I'm entitled to do this". I answer with my mouth full of food.

"You just realized two hours ago!" He laughs softly.

"I know, but it's weird, it's like something has been switched on inside me and suddenly I have all the symptoms, I'm just waiting for the nausea".

"Mood swings came a long time ago." He says mockingly.

"What do you mean?"

"Honey, you've been acting like..."

"Like a bitch, I know". I groan. "Is it too obvious?" He nods and lay my forehead on hand.

"And this is just the beginning."

"Thanks for cheer me up." He laughs and blows me a kiss.

"So, when are you going to tell to... you know, about the baby?"

Suddenly I lose my appetite. "I don't know, but maybe in a few weeks? According to my calculations I'm around 4 almost 5 weeks, I would like to wait at least a couple of months more".

"Why?"

"You know, the first trimester is the most critical and things are already tense between Owen and me, there's no need to add more to it if in the end I..."

"Do not you dare say that, you and the baby will be fine."

"We do not know that, anything can happen so ... at least I'll wait until this critical stage is over".

"If that's what you want, I support your decision". Conrad answers me taking my hand giving a slight squeeze, I can only return a small smile. "Hey, guess what?"

"What"

"Your baby is the size of a poppy seed".

My smile grows widely and my eyes fill with tears. "And soon its heart will start to beat". I answer in a choked voice.

Once back in my apartment in the cold solitude of my bedroom my happiness seems to have waned and now I'm extremely scared... and sad. I'm lying in bed staring at the ceiling, clutching the quilt tightly, pressing it against my chest. The colder I feel the lonelier I feel; I look at the place next to me in bed. _Empty_. Just a couple of weeks ago Owen was there, I was in his arms laughing at the absurdity of the situation while outside the lonely streets were covered in white with the snowfall. Owen Hunt, naked in my bed. Owen Hunt, naked in my bed in Germany, I in his arms, also naked, but oh so warm and protected. But tonight he wasn't here, I don't feel warm or protected, the only thing that stayed the same was the snow, falling slowly.

I don't know what I'm going to do, how I'll tell Owen that I'm pregnant, I know I still have a few weeks to plan everything but I know myself, the more I wait the more anxious I'll get. Should I tell him now? What time is it in Seattle? I look at the clock on the bedside table, 4:16 AM, that means it's 7:16 PM on the other side of the world. What's Owen doing? Is he working? Is he at home? ... Is he thinking about me? Let it go Theodora, of course he's not thinking about you... or maybe he is.

Slowly I slide my hand to my lower belly and place it there, there my baby grows, now the size of a poppy seed and in a few months the size of a pumpkin or a watermelon, I laugh at the thought How will I look? I've never been a _big_ person so it'll be fun, I think. Is Owen going to like how I'll look like? Not again, Theodora! I scold myself, if these are my hormones working the next few months will be a hell of mood swings. What will Owen think of me losing composure? Stop!

I growl and throw the quilt and the sheets aside and I sit in bed looking at the window, in less than 40 minutes my alarm clock will go off so there is no need to keep trying to sleep. I get up, I go to the bathroom and I stand in front of the mirror, sideways, of course there is not even the slightest hint of my condition yet I put my hand there and smile. I can do this, I'm going to do this, with or without Owen I'm going to do this. I bring my hand to my lips, kiss the tips of my fingers and return it to where I had it with a gentle rub.

After taking a shower, getting dressed and making something for breakfast I leave for work. When I arrive the whole staff of doctors and nurses look at me with expectant eyes, I don't know if it is because they already know the news or simply because of the show I gave yesterday when I fainted. Not that a pregnancy is something easy to hide, in a couple of months everyone will know, honestly I don't care, it isn't like I want to hide it, but I won't go around shouting it from the rooftops; the only thing that causes me some discomfort is what will they say, it's not like I've been in an official relationship that they knew about, they think I don't realize but I know that more than one of them call me " _spinster_ ". Well, now the old spinster left on the shelf is pregnant.

A lot of the people I work with known Owen and a few others know that there was some _sexual tension_ between us during our time in Iraq, I shudder to think what they will say when they know Owen is the father of my child. Again, not now Theodora so without giving importance to the looks I go to my office to start my day. A few minutes later Conrad peeks out the door with a cardboard tray with two cups and a paper bag.

"Major Altman, can I come in?"

I laugh. "Always". He comes in, places the things on my desk and goes straight to give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"How did my favorite pregnant lady slept?" He takes my face in his hands and looks into my eyes. "You didn't sleep at all, did you?" He scolds me.

I puff. "You already know me; my mind was running wild".

He sits on the edge of my desk and takes my hands between his. "You have to rest little bird, yesterday was an exciting day, today you have a marathon day and you spent the night awake... it doesn't do you any good, it doesn't do you _two_ any good".

"I know... after my noon meeting I'll have a couple of hours off, I promise I'll go to sleep". I answer, raising my hand in a sign of promise.

He looks at me doubtfully, frowning and pursing his lips. "I don't know why but I don't believe you".

"You don't trust me?!"

"I know you enough to know that you will spend your free time thinking instead of sleeping".

"I spent the whole night thinking how I will tell Owen this". I answer looking at my hands in my lap. "I was about to call him on more than one occasion".

"Everything will be fine baby, I'm furious with that ginger but for all the things you've told me this is good... a baby is always good news and he always wanted a baby, he will be excited".

"After how things ended between the two of us?"

"Well, at the beginning it will be shocking but once the news sink in it'll be a matter of time for him to also go crazy with the news, and who knows, maybe you two... you know".

"I hope you are right".

"I'm always right little bird... but enough of sad thoughts, I brought you some delicious donuts, a coffee, decaf of course and a hot chocolate".

"I love you so much". I answer as I open the donut bag inhaling the sweet smell. "If you weren't gay I would've proposed to you many years ago".

"I know honey; I have that effect with straights". He says sighing and we both laugh loudly.

"Hey, guess what?"

"What"

"I made an appointment with the OB-GYN, it's in two weeks".

"Really? Teddy, that's great!"

"I know... I wanted to, I want to ask you if..."

"Absolutely!" He answers before I can even ask him the question.

"You don't even know what I'm going to ask you". I laugh.

"To go with you?" I just smile. "See? ... I wouldn't miss this for nothing in the world".

Indeed, as Conrad had predicted, I spent my free time thinking too much instead of resting. When was time to go home I was so, but so tired that I didn't have the strength to even drive back home, so without shame I locked myself in an on call room, I wasn't going to risk driving with this snowfall, so tired and in my condition, I wasn't going to risk my baby.

The days went on and everything was more or less the same, work, overthink, rest little, work, overthink, rest little; soon the lack of rest, stress, overwork and pregnancy passed the bill to my body and I fainted again, this time at home, with no one there to help me...


	3. Chapter 3

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 **And** **regarding the guest's question. No, Teddy and Conrad won't be a thing. He is gay. I only created him** **because I hated the idea of Teddy going through everything that is to come in the story** ** **alone**. Yes, there's A LOT coming**.

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 3**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

When I wake up from my unconsciousness I find myself lying on the kitchen floor with a broken cup next to me and my pajamas wet by the tea that had been spilled, I'm still dizzy, I don't have the strength to get up, but at least I'm more or less conscious. When I finally feel strong enough I sit leaning on the kitchen island. I feel awfully guilty, I'm not taking care of myself and that's affecting me and therefore it's also affecting my baby. What kind of mother will I be if I can't even guarantee the safety of my baby _inside_ me? I'm terrified again, this isn't right, I can't do this alone, I need someone, I need _him_.

Today more than ever I need him, tomorrow will be my first appointment with the OB-GYN and I would like him to be there, I know I should be grateful that Conrad will be with me and I won't do it alone, but it's not the same, all these days I dreamed to see his face when I tell him the news so now I'm not sure if I want to do it over the phone, I want to see his reaction, see his crystal blue eyes when he knows I'm carrying his child, I want to see his face in the first ultrasound. I can still cancel the appointment, fly to Seattle, give him the news and get the first ultrasound there. Is that a good idea? Ugh, this is turning out to be harder than I thought. I need advice.

When I finally get to my feet I pick up my phone and call Conrad.

"Teddy!" He tells me as soon as he answers the phone and I can't help but smile widely.

"Hey how are you? Are you busy?"

"No, no, tell me what do you need?"

"An advice".

"Oh... an advice... what about?"

"I'm about to take a plane and go to Seattle to tell Owen everything". I blurt out.

"Oh... honey, that's... Are you sure?"

One, two, three seconds. "Yes... no... I don't know".

"I don't know what to say. Didn't you want to wait a couple of months more?"

"Yes, but..." No, I won't tell him that a couple of hours ago I collapsed in the kitchen of my apartment, if I tell him it's likely that in a matter of minutes he will be here and forbid me to travel to Seattle.

"But?"

"It's just... I need this. Conrad, I need to tell him, it's also his baby he deserves to know".

"In that I agree with you, he deserves to know, but why don't you wait for tomorrow's appointment? You make sure everything is fine with you and the baby so you can be sure that everything is fine".

How do I tell him that I Owen in my first ultrasound? I don't want to sound ungrateful, he has been with me not only after what happened with Owen but since I came to this little city. I think he's right after all, I'll wait until tomorrow, with the little care I've had with my health and the aches and pains of pregnancy that are beginning to manifest with each passing day I don't know if I'll be able to endure a 12 hours' flight, I don't want more stress for my baby, he or she is the most important thing now so for its wellbeing I'll wait.

"Hmm... you're right, I'll wait".

"I'm always right, honey".

"You're so cocky".

"But you love me".

"Of course I do... Good night Conrad and thank you".

"There is nothing to thank me, little bird. That's what friends are for, sleep tight and take care of that little nephew or niece of mine".

I laugh softly and my hand immediately goes to my belly. "Count on it, good night". And I hang up the phone.

The next morning I wake up earlier than I should, it's my day off and the appointment with the OB-GYN isn't until 5:00 PM, but by 6:00 AM I'm already awake, overthinking as always. I try to sleep for a couple of hours more, I'm extremely exhausted and my baby and my body need the best rest I can have. I drift in and out of sleep for a couple of hours more until I finally fall asleep again.

Hours later I wake up with a start, I was dreaming of _this_ day; I dreamed that Owen was here with me, that I woke up in his arms, those huge arms that always made me feel so small and protected, he pressed me firmly but gently against his chest, our hands entwined on my belly, I turned slowly and woke him up with a soft and chaste kiss, he opened his eyes and immediately a smile was drawn on his lips. _"Good morning, beautiful"_. He told me with a voice still hoarse from sleeping. _"How did my treasures sleep?"_ My smile reflecting his. _"Excellent, with you I always sleep excellent, we always sleep excellent with you"._

Then we both kissed passionately and in a matter of minutes we were both naked, loving each other, then we stayed in bed until late, our bodies intertwined, talking about the present and the future so promising that presented to us, he kissed my neck and his finger played with my belly button. _"Soon it'll pop out or disappear"_ , and we laughed out loud, then together we got ready to go to our appointment only I never got to that part, this wasn't real, like many of the things in my life, this wasn't real.

I huff and get out of bed towards the bathroom. It's 10:00 AM and I can't stay in bed for another minute. I shower, get dressed and have breakfast and by 12:00 PM I don't have anything else to do but wait until Conrad comes to go to my appointment together. Having a free day and so much free time doesn't do good to my mind. I'm an over thinker, I can't help it. My mind is always on alert, always anticipating things, always thinking ahead. I begin to review in my mind my obstetrics lessons that I had in med school, I start thinking about everything that can go wrong. Molar pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, osteogenesis, down syndrome, spina bifida, cardiophaties, cleft lip, anencephaly.

I shudder.

Stop, Teddy.

I need to occupy my mind on something, so I go to check medical records and budget while it's time for my appointment. Never did I stop rubbing my belly gently, in the last two weeks I have been feeling nauseous, although I haven't yet vomited. This day especially my stomach is particularly restless, it's probably nerves, it's way too early to feel any movement, I'm only 6-7 weeks.

Finally, the time comes, Conrad is in my apartment half an hour earlier.

"Ready to see that sweet baby?" He asks as me, hugging me tightly.

"Yeah." It's all I can say with a trembling sigh.

He takes me by the chin and looks me in the eyes. "Calm down".

"I'm so nervous. I haven't stopped thinking about everything that can go wrong".

"That's what I thought. But if something is wrong with the baby you are not alone. Okay? You have me and surely Owen, with how idiot he is and everything he will be here too".

I just smile "Hey! I wanted to show you something".

"What".

I stand sideways and frame _"my belly."_ "See?" I ask with a huge smile.

I don't know if I'm crazy and I'm just seeing what I want to see, but this morning when was getting a shower I could almost swear I saw the shadow of a bump, although it could have been bloating due to stress. Conrad laughs at me and I feel like crying. "What?" I ask trying to keep my voice from trembling as if I were about to fall apart in tears.

"Love. You only are, what, six or seven weeks? There's no way you're already showing".

"I'm very thin, I can start to show earlier, also all pregnancies are different". I answer while the tears run down my cheeks "Damn it, Conrad!"

"Come here, sweetie". He says wrapping me in his arms.

"Damn hormones!" I sob against his chest.

"Ok, let's not waste more time. Lass uns gehen, ass uns gehen!"

Together we go to the doctor's office. I decided to see an OB-GYN in Kaiserslautern, I don't want to mix my personal matters with the work ones so the more I can keep both separate better.

Conrad and I are so nervous. It's sweet to see how he is nervous too, his leg jumps up and down as he bites the nail of his thumb. In a strange way it makes me feel assured. No, loved. He cares about me and my baby and that speaks volumes of how much he loves me.

"Is this your first baby?" One of the women who are also waiting to be called asks Conrad and me. She's in a much more obvious stage than me, around 5 or 7 months I would say. She's accompanied by her partner who has his arm around her shoulders and his other hand placed on her baby bump while caressing it up and down. I feel a twinge in my chest. I want _that_ with Owen. I try to calm down thinking that with luck for the next ultrasound those will be Owen and me. Yes, it will be.

"Oh no... we..." I start to answer, but Conrad interrupts me.

"Oh no, it's our fifth and counting". He answers the couple with a huge smile while hugging me and placing his hand on my belly and I look at him with wide eyes and I have to make a big effort not to burst into laughter.

"Oh, t-t-the fourth. That-that's wonderful! This is our second". The woman's husband answers clearly surprised.

"Congratulations". I answer, biting my lips to keep from laughing.

"It must be difficult to deal with so many children, isn't it? How old are they?" The woman asks me. Oh my God, what do I answer? I turn to see Conrad waiting for him to do it, after all he started this.

"Oh no, not at all! We were born to be parents, isn't that right, my love?" He kisses me on the temple. "Our oldest son is 16, Thomas. Then there's Calvin with 11, Kevin with 8 and then there's Kim, our only girl, our little princess, she has 4 ". Oh my God, Conrad has to shut up if he doesn't want me to ruin his stupid joke with my laughter.

"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, it's your turn". The assistant calls the couple and as soon as they cross the door of the office Conrad and I burst out laughing.

"Why did you do that, Conrad ?!" I chastise Conrad, still laughing.

"I didn't like the way they were looking at us. Also, I wanted to make you feel less anxious, apparently it worked".

"You're impossible".

20 minutes later we are in the office of Dr. Schwarz. She is too young to be a specialist, suddenly I feel ashamed, she can't be more than 35 years old, and here I am at 41 with my first pregnancy.

"Good afternoon. Mrs. Altman, isn't it?". She greets me as she looks at my medical file.

"It is". I answer nervously.

"A pleasure". She says reaching out her hand. I wipe my hand against my jeans before take her hand. "You must be Mr. Altman".

I look at Conrad with a warning look, this isn't the time for his jokes. "Oh no, I'm just her friend".

"Ok, then let's start. From what I see in the file sent to me by your GP you are pregnant, isn't it?"

"Yes".

"Would this be your first medical check-up?"

"Yes". I can't answer with more than monosyllables.

"OK, well. Please go to the bathroom and put on the robe that is there, then we can proceed with the examination".

Conrad gives me a gentle squeeze in the hand and I go to the bathroom, minutes later I'm back and Dr. Schwarz is getting her medical equipment ready. First she asks me a few questions and I can't miss her surprised expression when I tell her that I'm 41 years old and this is my first pregnancy, however, she immediately conceals her surprise. Then she weighs me, takes my blood pressure, takes some blood samples and finally the moment I was waiting for the most.

The ultrasound.

My entire body shakes with excitement and on my lips a smile dances, but at the same time my head and my thoughts run wildly with thousands of thoughts about everything that can go wrong.

I lie on the bed and place my feet on the stirrups with my legs open. Suddenly I feel so vulnerable, it's easy to be on the other side, be the doctor and not think about the discomfort my patients might feel and just do my job, but being on this other side makes me see things completely different.

Conrad takes a stool and sits next to me holding my hand tightly. And the examination begins. Dr. Schwarz presses buttons, moves knobs, moves the transducer inside my cervix. I can't help but flinch and moan slightly each time she moves it and I hold on tighter from Conrad's hand.

"Well this is a surprise". Says Dr. Schwarz as she turns the screen towards me. "See that little white bubble?" I nod and prop up on my elbows to get a closer look at the screen. She again moves the transducer inside me and I grimace again. "And you see this other little bubble? It's your other baby... they're twins".


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER 4**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

To say that I'm shocked is an understatement. I'm paralyzed in my list of things that could go wrong certainly this wasn't listed, not that it is something bad, but I didn't expect it. I drop heavily on the bed and my tears fall silently down my temples and I let out a long, trembling sigh. "Oh my God".

"You expect it, isn't it?" The doctor asks me.

I just shake my head without turning to see her or Conrad.

"Hey Teddy, are you okay?" Conrad asks me in dismay as he caresses my hair.

"Yes, yes, it's just... I did not expect this". I answer whimpering. "I didn't expect this".

"Do you have any doubt about whether or not to continue with the pregnancy?" Dr. Schwarz asks me and I turn to see her immediately with wide eyes.

"I DON'T! I want to continue with the pregnancy, I want my babies". I answer wrapping my arms around my midsection. _My babies_. Until a few minutes ago it was my baby, singular. Now there are two. Oh God, I'm feeling all the feels at once. I'm happy, I'm scared, I'm nervous, a multiple pregnancy means more risk, I'm shocked, what will Owen say?

The young doctor gives me a soft smile and then turns her eyes to the screen and keeps pressing buttons and moving the transducer. "See this from here? We have two amniotic sacs and here is the separation which means that they are fraternal twins. It may be two boys or two girls or boy and girl".

In the middle of all my rollercoaster of emotions I smile widely. I'll have _two_ babies. Owen and I will have _two_ babies. I laugh at the irony. When Owen came to my house that night the last thing I thought was that we were going to spend the night making love, after that the last thing we both thought about was being careful, and then the last thing I thought about was getting pregnant and on top of that with twins. Go play of life.

"And are they ok? Isn't there any anomaly?"

"They seem to be in perfect condition. Placenta, yolk sac, embryos, amniotic sacs, everything. Do you want to hear the heartbeat?"

"YES!"

And when I heard those fast, but at the same time fragile heartbeats I lost it completely. I burst into tears and Conrad too. We both hugged and cried and laughed at the same time.

"I told you I was showing and you didn't believe me". I say between sobs.

"You are going to grow by day". He answers by wiping away his tears.

The examination ends and the doctor gives me good results, so far everything is fine with the babies. I leave the office immensely happy, everything is fine so now I just have to tell Owen. I keep thinking about the idea of going to Seattle, but again I remember how fragile my health has been, so I decide for the call.

I come home but I can't do it. I can't call Owen just like that, first I've to plan how I'll do it and what exactly I'll tell him. Write it down on a piece of paper if possible. This is _great_ news and I can't risk that the nerves win me and the only thing that comes out of my mouth is gibberish.

I fall asleep thinking about my _script_.

 _"Hey, Owen, how are you? Look, it turns out that I'm pregnant with your baby"._

 _"Hey Owen... I'm pregnant and the baby is yours, well, they're twins"._

 _"Owen... I have to tell you something very important... I'm pregnant with twins, they're yours"._

No, no, no. Nothing convinces me.

A week goes by and I still can't find the right way or time to tell Owen. Conrad is upset with me, he insists that I tell him before more time goes by, he's right, but I can't. Deep down I'm scared, I'm afraid that he doubts me and thinks that I only do this to have him back in my life. But I also know that that's just part of my fear and my crazy hormones, I know Owen, he wouldn't doubt me.

I've been locked in my office all morning; it's been a relatively quiet day. I don't want to run into Conrad, I don't want to answer his questions again. _"Did you call Owen? You should do it now"._

I try to distract myself with work when suddenly Conrad enters my office with a firm step and stands in front of me giving me a questioning-accusing look. I sigh.

"I know, I know. I know what you're going to tell me so better save it".

"It's not ok what you're doing, Teddy. He needs to know, or what? Will you tell him when the children are five years old?"

"Of course not! But I don't know how to do it!"

"The more time you spend thinking how you will say it the more time you will lose. Speak with your heart, you are not lying or anything, you know that he will be yes, shocked, but also happy. Just let your heart tell you what to say".

"I know myself, Conrad! I know that the moment he asks me what happens, I'll let it go, just like that, _'I'm pregnant'_ "

"Well, maybe it's the best thing. Pull off the band aid fast".

"Damn it, why are you always right?"

He laughs lightly and picks up the phone at my desk. "Take it, call him". I pick up the phone and he turns around to leave.

"No wait! Stay". He drags a chair and sits right next to me. "And what if he doesn't want to answer the phone?"

"He doesn't know your office number, does he?"

"I think he does, when he called me about Megan".

"Well, call for the private line".

"Yes. Yes".

Conrad takes my free hand and I mark Owen's number on the phone's keyboard with a trembling finger.

"Put on the speaker." He says to me, but before I can deny he presses the speaker button and hangs up the phone.

One ring, two, three. I tighten my grip more on Conrad's hand. I begin to feel extremely nauseous and heated, I feel that the air is missing and that the room is on fire. I want to get out of here.

"Yes?!"

A deep but feminine voice answers me with a sharp tone. I freeze. I can't speak. Conrad intervenes immediately.

"Is this Dr. Hunt's number?"

 _"Yes it is. Who is it and what do you want?"_

"With whom am I speaking? Could you please put Dr. Hunt on the phone?"

In the background I hear a crying baby and the voice of Owen screaming, also the voice of a girl screaming, but I can't identify who they are, it doesn't seem that they are in the hospital, maybe it's Meredith's place but no other voices are heard. I watch Conrad interact with the person on the other side of the phone, I question him with my eyes and he just makes a sign with his fingers to wait.

 _"You're talking to Dr. Shepherd. What do you want?"_

My heart stops. Amelia. She is with him again, she's answering the phone, his phone.

"I'm sorry, but I'm calling for something personal. I'll call later". Then Conrad cuts the call.

We both look at each other in shock and without saying a word. My eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, calm down! This doesn't mean anything, okay? Maybe he was busy and she answered the phone, you heard all the fuss that was heard in the background".

"But it didn't look like they were in the hospital, they were at home, Conrad!" I tell him sobbing.

"So what?"

I look at him incredulously. "So what? Conrad, he has already moved on!"

"Even if they were in bed you have to tell him. You're not doing it for him or for you, you're doing it for those babies". He tells me firmly.

I drop my back against the backrest of the chair and sigh.

"You have to call him again".

"Just... just give me a few minutes, I need to collect myself".

"Take all the time you want, honey". He tells me sweetly.

"What's wrong with him, Conrad? This is so not-him. He was here just two months ago saying he loved me and now... I... I don't understand".

"Hey little bird". He takes me by the hand. "We don't know if they are together or not, they are friends. What if it was a party or something?"

"Whatever". I say wiping my tears. "I've to tell him, I don't care what he decides to do next, I'll do my part".

"That's what I'm talking about, Major!"

I take the phone again and re-dial the number. After a couple of rings someone answers.

 _"Yes?"_ It's a female voice again, but it's not Amelia.

"I'm sorry, who is it? I need to talk to Dr. Hunt".

 _"Who calls him?"_

"Oh, it's… can you put it on the phone, please? It is important".

 _"Are you Teddy Altman?"_

"Yes, I'm sorry, who are you?"

The person on the other side of the phone is silent. Conrad looks at me questioningly and I just shrug, I don't know what's going on. Again. After a few seconds that seem hours to me again noises are heard from the other side.

"Hey... are you still there? Can you please contact Dr. Hunt? It is urgent".

 _"I'm sorry but I can't. He doesn't want to talk to you and asked me to please tell you not to bother him again"._

Then she hangs up the phone. I can feel my whole body tremble and my tears accumulate in my eyes. Without saying a word to Conrad I get up from my seat and run to the bathroom where I fall on my knees in front of the toilet and vomit violently while I cry.

"Calm down, calm down." Conrad kneels next to me rubbing my back. After a few minutes I sit heavily on the floor and cry bitterly. "What happened?" He asks me worried while he gives me a wet cloth and a glass of water.

"He… I…". I can't talk, all I do is cry. Conrad takes me in his arms and I keep crying for what seems like hours until my cries turn to sobs.

"What happened? What did Owen tell you?"

"I didn't even talk to him... he... he doesn't want to talk to me, he doesn't want me to bother him again, it's over Conrad".

I get up off the floor and wash my face and stare at my reflection. What did I do? What did I do to make Owen treat me like this? Was he that upset about everything I told him? I know it harsh, but at least he could've told me in person and not put someone else to tell me. I feel lost, I don't know what to do. I'm pregnant, with twins no less and Owen doesn't want to know anything about me. Suddenly I feel alone, like a boat aimlessly drifting, I don't know where to go, I don't know what to say, what to do, what to think. I feel empty.

Out of nowhere the thought of ending the pregnancy comes to my mind, I feel guilty to even consider it for a few seconds. That would put me back in the game, cut with every tie that joins me to Owen once and for all, start from scratch. But I can't, I don't want to, I won't do it, much less after having seen my two teeny-tiny babies inside me, listening to their tiny hearts, so fragile, but so powerful... I never would.

So this is it. I'll be a single mother of twins. The thought terrifies me. I don't know if I'll be able to do it…

* * *

 **Who do you think answered the phone to Teddy after amelia? Do you think Owen really doesn't want to talk to her?**

 **Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****

 ** _I really hope you're liking my fics, maybe it takes you a few minutes to read a chapter but it takes me hours and sometimes days or weeks to come up with a new one, so if you would let me know what you think I would thank you infinitely_** _ **...**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _ *****Warning: This chapter is a little bit**_ ** _anguishing. Sorry!***_**

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 5_**

* * *

I had never felt so lonely in my life, not even after Henry died and deep down I know I'm not alone, I have Conrad and soon I'll have two human beings who will be all mine for life. But I can't help it, I feel sad, alone, empty.

The crushing weight of loneliness takes my sleep away and I'm not even sorry. Curious how the human mind works in mysterious ways, isn't it? That gray mass covered with neurons sending nerve impulses among them that it doesn't matter if we are surrounded by people, that damn gray mass makes us feel that we are the loneliest and most miserable beings in the world, even if we have everything to be happy.

The days, weeks and months pass in a blurry whirlwind of which I don't remember most of it.

I stopped sleeping, I stopped eating, I stopped laughing. Nothing motivates me, not even this pair of babies that grew inside me by day.

I stopped working, Conrad took my position temporarily. I know he cares about me, every day he calls me and comes to my apartment, but I've started pushing him away, not answering his calls, not opening the door. Avoiding him.

The first months were the worst, I was tired all the time, a combination of my depressed mood and the tiredness of pregnancy that resulted in me sleeping for hours every day. I slept during the day and cried at night. Like a shadow wandering around my apartment, a shell of the woman I used to be before that damn night when Owen showed up.

I stopped going out to the street. The only occasions I left my place were for my medical check-ups. I was losing weight even when my babies were growing, although the doctor warned me, _"Not at the rate they should"._

She prescribed food supplements. I immediately threw them in the trash. Conrad was furious.

"Teddy, you have to feed yourself".

"I'm not hungry".

"But probably your babies are". I shrugged.

"Do you want them to die?"

I kicked him out of my house. He was back the next day. I welcomed him crying.

But I had moments of light too. They were rare but I had them. Like when my twins moved for the first time. When I started to look properly pregnant. That was a tricky one, sometimes I loved it, sometimes I hated it. Or when Conrad organized an intimate gender reveal party, just he and I, he brought balloons, serpentine, snacks and a cake... they were a boy and a girl.

That day I cried with happiness, I really cried with happiness. I'd have a boy and a girl.

But my happiness didn't last long, the next day I woke up again with that overwhelming feeling of loneliness and sadness back in my head making me hate everything and everyone... and so were the next months, reaching my break point when I was 30 weeks pregnant.

Emotionally I was at my lowest point. I cried for help but I wasn't able to bring myself to ask for it aloud. My translucent skin, my thin arms and legs, my prominent cheekbones, the black circles around my eyes, my dry hair. Conrad did as much as he could, but even I could see the despair on his face. Throughout my pregnancy I had only gained 10 kilos and hadn't bought a single baby item. Conrad noticed it immediately, but I had other plans.

"Hey, I was thinking, tomorrow is Sunday and my day off, we can go buy everything for the babies and set up the little corner/nursery in your bedroom. What do you think?" Conrad asks me one night while we were having dinner in my apartment.

I stir in my seat. I don't know how to say it.

"I... I don't think that's going to be necessary".

"Why not?" He says laughing. "That pair of nuggets will be here sooner than you think".

"Conrad I... I... I'll give them up for adoption".

Conrad is in shock for a few seconds and I can't see him in the face. "WHAT?!" He gets up from his seat and starts pacing in front of me.

"I said I'll give them up—"

"I know what you said! But why?". He asks, raising his voice.

"I... I can't do this Conrad".

He takes the stool next to me and forces me to see him in the face. "You can, love; you are not alone. Between the two of us we will rise that pair of kids".

"They deserve better, Conrad". I tell him crying. "A person like me shouldn't be allowed to be a mother! Sometimes... sometimes I feel that I don't love them and… and that... that breaks my soul".

"But deep down you know it's not like that, I know it's not like that. Maybe you don't realize, but I know you love—"

"NO!" I shout, getting up from my seat. "I don't want them. I don't want the permanent reminder of what Owen did to me. Of how he mocked me, how he humiliated me, I DON'T WANT THEM!"

"Ok, well." Conrad tells me, clearly upset. "Then get ready because I'll do everything possible to adopt them". Then he takes his coat and leaves my house closing the door with a loud bang.

I crumble apart and fall on my knees to the ground crying.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry". I say, while hugging my baby bump. "You deserve better than this".

I can't sleep all night. Partly because I can't stop crying and partly because I can't stand the pain in my lower back, as well as the slight spasm in my pelvis, but I don't give them importance, I keep letting myself fall into that bottomless hole of self-pity.

The sun is already shining high in the sky when I start to feel extremely tired. I try to sleep and just when I'm about to fall asleep a sharp pain in my belly makes me sit in the bed clutching my bump. It's unbearable, it lasts several seconds, it makes me sweat and it takes my breath away.

The pain even takes my sleep away, when it finally disappears I get up with difficult from the bed and walk through my apartment in search of my cell phone.

I'm sure they're contractions, although I'm not sure if they're just Braxton Hicks or actually I'll give birth now.

The thought of giving birth right now terrifies me to the point of crying. I'm not ready, I'm not ready yet to go through all the pain of giving birth and then giving up my children.

I hadn't yet begun the process of giving them up for adoption, I still didn't choose the couple that would give them all the love that I could never give them, I had made the decision just the day before. My head still didn't assimilate my decision at all. I wasn't ready.

I walk and walk through my apartment with difficulties, the pain decreased but didn't disappear. My phone is nowhere to be found and the landline phone has been cut for months now.

Minutes later the contractions come back making me bend in pain. I lean against the kitchen island panting through clenched teeth. I'm not able to even timing the contraction, my mind is completely wrapped by pain.

When again the pain is fading I feel a slight pressure in my pelvis and then what I feared most, these weren't false contractions, I'm in labor. My waters have broken.

I start to pant more quickly, I'm in panic. My landline doesn't work, I can't find my cell phone, much less my car keys, I don't remember the last time I drove.

I walk slowly through the pain, the pressure is getting more and more intense. I throw cushions and blankets around. I turn drawers and cupboards around. Nothing.

Again another contraction.

I don't know what to do, I'm completely cut off.

I leave my apartment and hang up on the neighbor's doorbell. Nothing. No one.

I start crying, I feel lost.

I try to remember where was the last place where I left my cell phone, I try, but the pain clouds my mind every time more and more.

I go back to my apartment and that's when I notice it, there are some drops of blood on the floor. I look down but my huge baby bump doesn't allow me to see my legs, reach with my hand under my dress to touch my crotch and bring my fingers back soaked in blood. I panic.

I walk as fast as I can to my bedroom. Again I throw cushions, blankets and turn drawers around. Again nothing. Again a contraction.

I sit in bed because my legs are no longer able to keep me standing through the pain. This time I try to time it. Almost a minute. Things are moving fast.

I need a check-up, I need to know how dilated I am but there is no one who can do it, the only option is me.

I bring my hand again between my legs trying to feel my crotch, I try to read with my fingers what I'm touching and then I feel it. I feel it and I freeze. No, it can't be.

I feel something hard.

I feel the baby's head.

I need to act now.

I look for my medical bag in my closet, I walk to the bathroom holding everything I can hold on to. I feel like my legs will give up at any minute.

In my bag there's alcohol, cotton, gauze, scissors, tweezers, clamps and scalpels. I collect towels and trays with hot water. Then I see it, my damn cell phone is next to the sink, connected to the charger, but the charger is not connected to the power plug.

I try to turn it on but it is dead, I plug it to the socket while I wait for it to turn on again through a contraction. I need to push now. I need to push badly.

I kneel on a mound of towels in front of the bathtub, crossing my arms over the edge and lying my head there and then do what my body asks me to do.

 _I push._

 _I scream._

 _I cry._

I do all that alone. I'm bringing my children into the world completely alone. Without Owen by my side hugging me and holding my hand, without him there encouraging me not to give up, telling me that this is almost over, although we both know that it is only the beginning, but the encouraging words are what count. Without him there to hold our children for the first time and cut the cord.

Only me and the walls of this small bathroom will be the witnesses of the birth of my little and fragile babies. My screams and cries bounce off the walls of my apartment becoming echoes. I bury my nails in my own arms while I push and scream. I touch my crotch and I can feel the whole head outside of me. I gently stroke my baby's head and I cry again. It's tiny, I cover it with my whole hand, I want to keep caressing it but there's no time for that, again another contraction makes me scream. Then my scream is overshadowed by a high pitched and gurgling cry.

I look down and a little baby lies crying on the pile of towels. It's a girl. I look at her shocked in amazement, I'm paralyzed, I can't do anything just look at her, she's tiny, she can't weigh more than 2 kilos, then it hits me. She's a preemie, she needs an incubator _now_ , she needs medical attention _now_ and so will her brother.

I reach for my cell phone on the sink and luckily it has already turned on. My first instinct is to call Conrad.

I search among my contacts with trembling hands while my little girl lies now still on the pile of towels and still connected to me by the umbilical cord. I'm terrified. She doesn't move, but I know she's breathing, I can see her in her tiny chest.

 _"Yes?"_

"CORNAD! Conrad, I-I-I... the-the-the babies. She-she-she doesn't move. I-I-I—"

 _"Teddy, calm down! What's going on?!"_

"I just gave birth!" I blurted out panting and then burst into tears.

 _"DON'T MOVE! I'm on my way with help!"_

I try to keep acting in the middle of the crying, I clamp and cut the cord and minutes later I deliver the placenta. I clean and wrap my little girl with a towel, I take her in my arms and I sit on the floor leaning against the bathtub cradling my baby girl and waiting for Conrad come with the help. I still have another baby to deliver. My baby boy.

She is tiny, I know she is underweight. I feel so guilty and that only makes me cry more and hug her tighter against my chest. She does not cry, she's mewling softly.

Her skin is pinkish-reddish, she has soft hair all over her head, ginger like her father. I cover her completely with both my hands, she curls up against my chest. I play with her teeny-tiny hands, she can't wrap all her fingers around my index, they are too small.

I don't know how I'll do it. I don't know how I'll be able to give up my babies, I know that it's best for them. I told Conrad that I don't love them, but it's not like that, _I love_ my babies and because I love them I know that this is the best I can do for them. This is an act of love.

I'm still waiting for Conrad to come, with every minute that passes I feel more and more weak. I start to feel the first signs of contractions to give birth to my boy, but I'm so weak that I don't know if I'll be able to do it again. I feel so heavy and the grip around my girl becomes weaker and weaker.

The last thing I remember before closing my eyes is blood, my legs soaked with blood, the white towels stained with blood. Then a loud bang outside, a group of people coming into my bedroom and Conrad screaming my name.

Then everything is darkness.

Peaceful darkness.

It feels good.

I feel at peace for the first time in months.

The darkness embraces me and I let myself go... there's nothing left for me… no one will miss me… _He_ won't miss me… this is it… I'm done.

* * *

 _ **OMG! What do you think will happen to Teddy and the babies?**_

 _ **Do you think she'll be ok?**_

 _ **Do you think she will give them up for adoption?  
**_

 _ **I have to be honest with you guys, I already had the full story visualized, and I have it, I have one the end already **__**written**_ _ **but I've come up with two other versions that start from this point on and I love **__**the three versions so much**_ _ **so I don't know which of the three to choose.**_

 _ **The one I already had from the beginning or one of the other two...**_

 ** _So maybe it will take some time to update again while I decide whether to continue with the story I already had or take a new path..._**


	6. Chapter 6

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **Another quick update before bed!**_

 ** _I hope you are still interested in this story, Owen's side of the story and that mysterious call (!) is very close, so be stick with me!_**

 ** _Like, follow and/or review! :)_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 6**_

* * *

 _ **CONRAD**_

It's been 4 days since Teddy gave birth. Since that day that I found her bleeding out in the bathroom floor of her apartment, holding her tiny newborn daughter. Although fortunately Teddy survived, it's an image that will hunt me for the rest of my life, although I'm a surgeon and I've seen worse things in the war, see Teddy, my girl, my sister lying on the ground on the verge of death it's something I never would've imagined. I don't know what I'd do if one day I lose her, I don't know if I'll be able to endure to lose another sister.

Except for the times when I go to the NICU to check how the twins are, I have not separated from her side for a second. I die to see her wake up; she was sedated so that her wounds heal with the slightest pain. It was a massacre, the birth of the little boy was like a massacre, Teddy had already lost too much blood, she was very weak, we were losing her, the placenta was coming out before the baby, I had to perform an emergency C-section in the ambulance or both would die.

She went through hell giving birth to her babies, I just hope she is strong for what she has to face when she wakes up. Children's services have been checking on the children and on her all the time, waiting for her to wake up to proceed with the process of giving the babies up for adoption. Teddy had nothing planned, not even a name for the babies, the doctors asked me things that I didn't know how to answer so the only thing that came to my mind was to say that she planned to give the babies for adoption, although if it doesn't go well it's very likely that she will only have to give one of the children up for adoption... the chances of the little boy's survival are below 40%... if he survives it would be a miracle.

I go to the NICU, the little girl is improving day by day, her numbers are good and she is gaining weight practically every day. She was born weighing only 1.100 kilos and has gained 100 grams in the last 4 days, it isn't much but all things considered it's a lot. But the little boy, God, just seeing him makes me shiver, his teeny tiny body is practically entirely covered with wires, catheters, feeding tubes and monitors. The poor baby was born weighing only 900 grams, it was a terrifyingly tiny thing, almost the size of my hand. Technically he was born dead, we used all the resources, we did everything possible to restart his heart until we succeeded, however, his brain was too many minutes without oxygen... we still have to wait to know what his luck will be, if he will have neurological damage, if he will survive.

I go back to Teddy's room and I find that the doctors are there, apparently they will wake her up today. They apply the necessary medications and ask me to be patient and wait for her to wake up. A couple of hours later her eyelids start to flutter and she moans softly.

"Hey, you're fine, don't talk, don't strain yourself". I say, hurrying to her side and caressing her hair.

"My... my babies". She says, sleepily and hoarsely.

"We'll talk later".

She shakes her head slowly. "Now".

"They are in the NICU".

She shakes her head and opens and closes her mouth trying to tell me something, but the effect of the medications on her body is still too strong, minutes later she falls asleep again.

It's already past midnight when Teddy wakes up again, this time she's more lucid.

"Hey". I greet her gently kissing her hand.

"My babies".

"They are in the NICU".

"Are they... are they alive?"

"Yes, they are". I don't have the heart to tell her right now that her little boy is fighting between life and death, I need her to be stronger before telling her.

"I want to see them".

"Not now, darling, you're still very weak, you were sedated for four days".

"No... I want to see them, please".

"Teddy, please, don't be stubborn. You know very well that I can't take you to the NICU like this". I tell her, softly. She starts crying.

 _ **TEDDY**_

I've been sedated for four days, I've missed the first four days in the lives of my babies. If before I felt like a terrible mother, now I feel like the worst in the world. I haven't been even good to bring them to the world safe, they are in the NICU, surely connected to dozens of cables, all because of me.

I try to rest as much as possible, I want to be strong as soon as possible so I can go see them, I have vague memories of my daughter's tiny face. Her little reddish lips and her fiery ginger hair, I don't remember her eyes, I don't remember if she opened them or not. And my boy, I want to meet my boy, I want to see his little face. Will he be red-haired like his sister? Will he be blond like me? I'm dying to see him.

The next morning I wake up and do everything Conrad and the nurses order me, I eat all the breakfast without protests, I don't want to give them reasons to prohibit me from going to see my children.

"I'm glad to see you awake again, you gave me a tremendous scare". Conrad tells me after finished breakfast.

"I'm so sorry, it was not my intention".

"I know it, honey, nothing that happened was your fault. Do you understand me? Nothing".

"We know that it was, I provoked everything with my carelessness... I'm dying to see my children, Conrad. Did you see them already?"

"Yeah, I did, they're beautiful, but..."

"But what?!"

"Teddy... there are some things I have to talk to you about".

"What?! What happens, Conrad?!"

"Children's services have been keeping an eye on the children... because your plan to give them up for adoption".

My blood freezes. "What do they say?"

"Until now nothing, however, they want to talk to you as soon as possible".

I just nod.

"But that's not all, Teddy".

"There is more?!"

"It's about your son..."

"What about my son?!"

"He... Teddy, he's health is not good... doctors don't give much hope for him to live. I'm very sorry, honey, but I had to tell you.".

I feel as if someone has ripped my heart out, I feel physically in pain. It cannot be. "I want to see him". I say in a choked voice. "I want to see him, Conrad. I want to see him now!" I cry.

"You will do it, but later".

"Conrad!" I beg.

Soon we are interrupted by a nurse.

"Good morning, children's services are out here and they want to talk to you Dr. Altman. Do you feel ok to receive them?"

I nod at the same time I clean my tears. The nurse makes a sign with her hand and a woman enters my room.

"Good morning, I'm Emma Müller, children's services". She introduces herself by giving me her hand.

"Good morning, Dr. Altman, a pleasure".

"I think you already know why I'm here. Here your friend told me about your intention to give your children up for adoption. Is that what you want?"

I'm speechless. I had a depressive pregnancy, it was traumatic to give birth to my daughter, I almost died giving birth to my son, I spent four days sedated and still don't see my boy's face and now I've to decide whether I will give them up for adoption or not.

"I remind you that you have two options, it can be an open adoption, that way you can keep in touch with the children. Or it can be a closed adoption, so you renounce all rights to the children and—"

"Stop, stop, stop!" I shout. The more this woman talks, the more confused I feel. It's being too much. I don't know if I will be able to see my children while they call another woman " _mom_ ", but I don't know if I will be able to never see them again in life. I never thought about this when the idea of giving them up for adoption crossed my mind, I just wanted the best for them, not a mother immersed in misery.

Conrad and the social worker look at me with sweetness and condescension respectively.

"I... I just want to see them. If that's possible". I say, almost in a whisper.

"Of course you can see them, it's your right". The social worker answers me with a warm smile.

Then she leaves Conrad and me alone for a moment while he takes me in a wheelchair to the NICU.

"How are they, Conrad?" I ask Conrad nervously as he pushes my wheelchair.

"They are small".

My heart turns upside down, of course they are small. "Small? How small?"

"You will see".

"You already told me that they are not well, you can stop pretending and hiding things from me!"

"Teddy... they are premature, of course they are small—"

"Don't lie to me, Conrad. I know they are smaller than normal, they are not like any premature baby of 30 weeks and it's all my fault".

Conrad stops and goes to kneel in front of me. "Stop blaming yourself, you don't gain anything by blaming yourself. Now the important thing is that you and they are well, okay?"

I nod while I cry.

We arrive at the NICU and it broke my heart to see so many babies inside incubators. It breaks even more to know that _two_ of those babies are mine.

After being sterilized and dressed in gowns and gloves we enter the room. Everything is silent, only the beep of the machines that keep babies alive can be heard.

"Where are they?"

"The girl is right here". Conrad answers, taking me to an incubator partially covered with a blanket. For a moment I freeze and start to shake.

My tiny baby girl is in there.

Connected to dozens of devices that keep her alive, they feed her and help her breathe. The oxygen mask covers almost all of her small face, her arm is covered with a kind of cast and catheter wires come out of it, monitors attached to her chest and her foot. I can't believe I did this to my baby.

"Come here Teddy". Conrad tells me, softly.

My jaw trembles and tears run down my cheeks.

"Get close to her." A nurse tells me. "She and the other little angel need their mommy, that will make them recover sooner".

I take a tentative step towards her. She is asleep or at least I think so, she stirs one of her arms as if she were waving at me and I can't help but smile. I approach her and stand next to the incubator placing my hands on the cold plastic case.

"Can I touch her?" I ask, in a choked voice.

"Of course you can, dear". The nurse tells me.

I put my hand inside the incubator and stroke her head with my finger very, very softly, I'm afraid of hurting her. I can't feel the sensation of her fiery red hair on my finger due to the latex glove, but I close my eyes and try to remember the sensation of her teeny tiny body on my chest that night she was born.

She moves her hand again and I smile again. "Hey, little lady. You are so beautiful". I whisper. I place my finger on her hand and she takes it. "I... I'm your mommy".

It's something instinctive, I don't think before saying it and I don't want to think about the future, I don't want to think about that social worker who waits in my room for an answer. Now it's just me and my babies.

"Where is my boy?" I ask Conrad, excitedly, but his face drops. "Conrad, where is my boy?!"

"He is in that room". He answers, pointing to a dark room.

"Why is he there? Why isn't he here next to his sister?!"

"Teddy, as I told you... he... his health is very weak... he was born weighing only 900 grams and... honey... you have to be ready".

"Ready for what?!" I ask exasperated, deep down I know the answer, but I need him to tell me.

"There are many chances that he will not survive".

I crumble in tears and he immediately leads me to sit in an armchair. "Honey, you have to calm down".

"I want to see him... I want to see him, I WANT TO SEE HIM NOW!"

"Ok, ok honey, you'll see him, but lower your voice, okay?" The nurse tells me.

Conrad helps me get up from the chair and I can feel how my legs tremble with each step, I start to sweat and my heart beats fast.

We enter the room and turn on the light. There are 4 other incubators.

"Which one is him?"

"That one". The nurse points to the last incubator in the room.

I let go of Conrad and walk slowly towards his crib, the nurse comes forward and turns on the blue light of the incubator.

A cry comes out of my mouth when I see my little boy and I cover my mouth with my hands. From his head to his feet all his teeny tiny body is covered with monitors, catheters, tubes and syringes. His face is covered by an eye mask and an oxygen mask that doesn't allow me to see his features.

I can't stop crying. Conrad comes to me and hugs me. "I did this to them, I did this to him!" I cry.

"Calm down, honey". The nurse comforts me by rubbing my back.

"I want him, Conrad." I say releasing myself from his embrace by looking him in the eyes. "I want my children, I want my babies. They are _mine_ , I can't give them up, they are mine and nobody else's. I'm their mom and I will do everything for them to be ok. I love them, I can't let them go".

Conrad takes my face in his hands smiling widely. "Tell that social worker that she can leave. They will stay with their mom". I say, smiling and wiping my tears.

"I will do it. I'll gladly do it and remember darling, you and they are not alone. Do you understand me? Between you and me, we will go ahead".

I nod and start crying again.

Conrad leaves me alone with the nurse and I can finally get close to _my_ boy's incubator. _Mine_. He is mine and my little girl too. In that moment I decide it, they need me, they need me strong, I will be the mother that I wasn't during my pregnancy because I was deep in depression due to a man who doesn't deserve me and doesn't deserve these children. They deserve better and I will give it to them, even if it costs me my life.

I'm not allowed to touch him, but I'm content to see him, see how even under all those wires and monitors his small chest moves up and down.

"Hey baby boy, I'm your mommy and I love you, I love you with all my heart and I promise you'll get out of here soon, you and your sister... oh yes, your sister, you sure remember her, isn't it? You two had a lot of battles inside my belly. We will come out of this, I promise".

"Never stop talking to them". The nurse tells me. "They remember your voice and that will help them. Baby B still has a long way to go, but in a few days you will be able to hold baby A".

"They are no longer Baby A and B, they now have a name. Can you change their crib plate and wristband? Please".

"Sure!" The nurse answers, cheerfully.

"The girl is... she's Allison Altman".

"Aww, what a beautiful name!"

"And he... he's Henry, Henry Altman". I say smiling at my little Henry.


	7. Chapter 7

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **Things are starting to move on!**_

 _ **I hope you like this new chapter, reviews are always apreciated :)**_

 _ **A/N: I am not a doctor or have medical**_ ** _knowledge, everything medicine-related is thanks to saint google_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 7**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

Days after I made the decision not to give my children up for adoption I was allowed to hold Allison. It was a magical moment. My perfect Christmas gift. With everything that had happened I didn't realize that my children were born almost at Christmas. December 15 to be exact. From now on, Christmas won't be the same.

Even though Allison was still connected to dozens of wires, feeling her soft skin against the skin of my bare chest again was an inexplicable sensation, for a moment terrifying memories of the day she was born came to my mind, but having her on my chest, listen to her make those quiet baby noises, curled up in my chest made my heart burst with love.

From time to time I still felt guilty, I remember all the little prenatal care I had during my pregnancy and how I was willing to give them up for adoption, it still kept me awake at night, but soon there was no time to think about anything except my children, especially in Henry.

While Allison improved day by day and had no major problems beyond a slight arrhythmia and apnea that made me go crazy, Henry... every day I prayed for Henry, I needed comfort and I found it in God, every day I went to the hospital chapel to pray, to ask God or the Virgin Mary that please, to not take my little angel. I even got him and Allison baptized.

"I know I've never been exactly the most religious person, but it's never too late, isn't it? I... I have made plenty of mistakes in my life and... maybe I am the least indicated person to ask for things, but... he's a baby, he's my baby, they're my babies and they're all I have in the world, please don't take them from me".

The days and weeks kept going and while Allison improved day by day, it got more and more aching for Henry every day.

Of all the possible health problems that a premature baby could present, he had them all. Infections, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, among many other conditions that kept him constantly surrounded by doctors putting all their efforts to keep him alive while I cried helplessly at the impotence of not being able to do nothing to help my little boy.

The more problems Henry presented, the more I turned all my attention to him, even forgetting Allison what caused me immense guilt when I remembered my little girl, but then I didn't have time to fall into my hole of guilt because Henry came up with a new health problem. And so the cycle went on for months.

Conrad did everything possible to be present and support me as much as he could and I didn't have enough words to thank him for everything he was doing for me and my children. He was being like a father to them.

I won't deny it, I thought of Owen many times, more times than I would've liked. And again the guilt, I blamed myself for spending my time thinking about Owen when I should be thinking about my children.

This was a nightmare for me. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat. I lived in the NICU unit 24/7, the doctors had even allowed me to sleep in an on-call room that had practically become my bedroom. Not only was I losing weight but also my mind, until a nurse advised me to see a psychiatrist. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

That same day Henry was rushed in the OR for heart surgery. That made me hit rock bottom. I swore to fight for my children and I wasn't doing it at all.

I asked for help. I started with therapy. I organized my schedule to be with Allison and Henry the same amount of time. I kept praying. I thought less and less about Owen. Until all my efforts and those of the dozens of doctors and nurses who worked for months in keeping my babies alive paid off.

Allison was discharged two and a half months after her birth and although we didn't go home and instead we settled in that on call room-home, to finally have my little girl to myself, free of wires, eating from me, of my breast, was more than enough to keep fighting and keep getting up every day to keep going, for her and for her brother.

And Henry, my little warrior, all the doctors swore he would't survive, but he clung to life. After 4 visits to the OR and countless health problems finally, 6 months after his birth my baby boy was handed to me in my arms in a furry lamb onesie.

I cried with him against my chest for what seemed like hours, finally my boy had won the war, my little warrior would finally go home, to our real home, with me and with his sister to sleep in their respective bassinets next to me bed. To be a family.

There was only one small-huge detail, due to all his complications Henry was affected with deafness and probably in the future his vision would also be compromised. It was a low blow, but the doctors assured me that his deafness could be corrected with a hearing aid devise and his vision with glasses or surgery. It was sad, it was sad to think that my little boy would have to deal with all of that all his life, but considering everything he had went through this was the least of the problems.

The day Allison, Henry and I left the hospital was an emotional day for everyone. The nurses and I cried with joy because finally they would go home, but also with sadness to lose them. The nurses and the doctors had grown fond of the twins so it was very hard for everyone to say goodbye, but it was a sweet goodbye and we promised to visit them regularly.

The first days at home were difficult, although Conrad helped me and was there in each and every one of the free moments he had, he couldn't be with me all the time and I was left alone to deal with two newborns. I was about to fall again, but seeing their faces and remembering all our long way until that moment made me get up and keep going for my children.

I soon got used to barely sleep, changing a lot of diapers, breastfeed two babies at the same time, washing and sterilizing dozens of bottles, lulling them to sleep. I became a master of multitasking, nobody could beat me. I felt so proud of myself.

Finally, after spending so much time in depression, the moment came when I felt proud of myself. Almost alone I was raising two babies. A year and a half later I went back to work, again it was difficult, but nothing that I couldn't handle, making my pride in myself grow even more. I was finally doing it.

Months and years went by, the birth of my babies seemed so far now.

 _4 years._

My children were growing and that caused me nostalgia, but at the same time immense happiness. They were beautiful, in personality like day and night, but perfect.

 _Allison_. All red hair, freckles and huge green eyes. Outgoing, bubbly, always full of energy and lover of playing outside even if it was snowing.

 _Henry_. All blond hair and crystal blue eyes behind his adorable glasses. Introvert, quiet, lover of legos, puzzles and coloring books.

My greatest treasures, the true loves of my life.

 _ **OWEN**_

Emptiness. Emptiness is all I can feel. I feel empty, nothing excites me anymore. I've lost the passion to live, to work. I don't remember the last time I worked. How long has it been? 2 years? Three? I don't remember, I don't care either.

I don't remember what it is like to feel the adrenaline of attending a trauma case, of working against the clock in the OR. To be respected. I don't remember how happiness feels like.

I've been alone for more than four years. _Again_ Amelia and I crashed, it was to be expected. We didn't know life without Leo and Betty, when they left, we collapsed. Not to mention the constant fights we had and that I couldn't stop thinking about Teddy. She blamed me for not being one hundred percent in with her and Betty, I blamed her for justifying Betty's addiction, she called me out for my lack of sensibility.

The breaking point was after Betty's death due to an overdose. Her parents took Leo, Amelia and I were left completely alone, we took refuge in work, everything in order to spend the least time alone under the same roof.

One night while drunk I told Amelia that I loved her, that I loved her as I had never loved, that I had always loved her from the first moment I saw her, that she was the love of my life... but I called her Teddy. I saw Teddy's face in Amelia. She took her belongings and left.

Since then I've been alone, I've had little adventures, but nothing more than one or two nights. Nothing fills me, nothing motivates me. I've been about to go back to Germany to look for Teddy, to apologize, to beg her to at least allow me to be her friend again, but no, she didn't deserve to see me again, she didn't deserve to be hurt by me again

 _"All you ever do is hurt me, Owen!"_

I still remember that day as if it had been yesterday, the day I was in Teddy's bed. If I close my eyes and concentrate I can still feel her soft, warm skin against my skin. Her soft hair between my fingers, her sweet scent of jasmine. Everything disappears when I open my eyes.

I'm lying on the sofa looking at the ceiling waiting for Megan, she would be visiting for a few days. Her excuse was my mother, but I know she did it for me. Good luck with that, I'm beyond help.

"Owen? Owen, are you home?" Megan comes into my house calling for me.

"I'm here". I say monotonously from the sofa.

She goes and sits down next to me and looks at me worried. "Hey." She tells me, softly.

"Spit it out. What do you want, Megan?"

"Ok, you want me to go straight to the point, I will. I came to help you; you can't continue like this!"

"Like this, how?"

"Depressed, without working, leaving yourself die!"

"Would be the best".

She gets up from the couch and looks at me angrily. "Do you really think it would be the best?! I was captive for 10 years wishing to see you again only so that now you decide that it's better to die?! Man up! You have everything to be happy!"

 _"You have everything to be happy!"_

This makes my blood boil, she doesn't know anything about me, she doesn't know that I don't have anything to be happy, that I don't have her, Teddy. She is the only thing that would make me happy right now.

"Do you really think I'm happy?! You don't know me anymore, Megan! You don't know what happens with my life, my dreams, my hopes. You don't know anything! So stop acting like you know all about me!"

"Then tell me! Help me to understand! I want to understand why my only brother is letting himself die in this way!"

"Because I lost everything!"

"Oh well, I'm glad to know that Mom and I mean so much to you".

"I don't mean you two".

"Then?"

"I lost my son and the love of my life".

She huffs. "Please, Owen, you knew that Leo was just your foster kid. And Amelia? I'm sorry, but everyone could see that you were the least compatible couple in the world. How can you call her the love of your life?!"

"I loved Leo, he was my son... and I don't mean Amelia... I mean Teddy!"

Megan looks at me in shock. I never told her about my night with Teddy, she always rooted for Teddy and me to be together, but I never told her of my true feelings towards her, especially after what happened in Germany. She would hate me if she knew what happened that night. She kept asking me if I had any idea what was wrong with Teddy, she didn't answer her e-mails and she had changed her phone number. Teddy had cut off all contact not only with me but also with Megan and my mom and that hurt my soul. My mother and Megan loved Teddy and because of my stupidity I took them away from her.

"WHAT?! Teddy? Owen, you never—"

"I never told you anything? I know. But I love her, I've always loved her and I... I did something stupid and she kicked me out of her life forever".

Megan takes my hand and we sit down on the sofa again. "What did you do, Owen?"

"I can't tell you, Megan... I'm too embarrassed to talk about it".

"What could've been so bad? You two always fix your differences, you don't know how to be upset with each other".

"This was different... I hurt her, badly". I say, quickly wiping a tear, I'm ashamed that Megan sees me cry.

"Is that why she cut off all communication with all of us?"

I nod solemnly.

"Oh Owen... I, I'm so sorry, brother. If I could I would do anything to fix this".

"I know. And now I don't know what to do without her, I don't know life without her, she had been the only constant in my life... I will never forgive myself for having hurt her".

"Was it why you came back with Amelia?" Megan asks, tentatively.

I doubt a few seconds. "More or less". Megan looks at me expectantly, I sigh, I can't hide many things from Megan. "I went to Germany... I declared my love, I told her how much I loved her and for how long I had loved her".

"So? What went wrong?!"

"I had been in bed with Amelia only 24 hours previously". I answer, ashamed. I wait for Megan's rant, but she just looks at me sympathetically. "I was stupid, she was furious and rightly so... she kicked me out of her house".

"And why did you come back with Amelia? If she was the reason why you lost Teddy, why did you come back with her?"

"I... I don't know, it was everything. Leo came to me unexpectedly, she jumped in to help me without me asking her, I missed Teddy like crazy and she was there, she was perfect and I had no Teddy... "

"Oh brother, you screwed it olympically".

I nod. "And now my life is a misery".

"Owen, you can't go on like this... I'm not saying you should get over it overnight, but... do it for mom, seeing you like that is breaking her heart".

"I know and that breaks my heart too, but... I don't know how to do it, I don't know how to get out of this".

"To start, get out of here, sell this house, start over, I don't know, go on a trip".

Megan was right, a new start doesn't sound so bad, the problem is that I don't know how to do it, I know I need help, but I don't know how to ask for it either, I'm very proud to do it. "It is almost Christmas". I say, out of nowhere and Megan looks at me confused.

"It's November 15, Owen". She answers me, frowning, but I ignore her.

"Teddy loves Christmas and snow... I probably ruined the snow for her".

"Owen!" Megan exclaims to get my attention. I'm lost in my thoughts, remembering Teddy's face that time I brought the snow machine to Iraq, her huge green eyes shining more than the hot sun. I remember how she preferred to give the soldiers chance to enjoy the snow near their faces even when I could see how she was dying to put her face in front of the blower and feel the snowflakes on her cheeks, but she just looked at the soldiers smiling, always so selfless.

"What?"

"So?"

"You're right, I'll make a trip". She smiles at me and gives me a light arm shake. "Megan".

"Yes?"

This was too difficult for me, but I hoped that saying it out loud would make it easier. "I think I need help".

"I will help you in everything you need... you are not alone Owen".

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ ** _You're probably still wondering about that mysterious call, but soon the explanation will come, I promise!  
_**

 ** _The next chapter is about 4.2k words, so I probably will split it in two if it's too bothering for you to read so much, so what do you say? One or two chapters? Let me know!_**

 ** _Side note, poor baby Henry, but he will be ok, you will see!_**

 ** _What do you think will happen in Owen's trip?_**


	8. Chapter 8

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **Grab popcorns and get confortable, LONG chapter ahead...**_

 _ **Again, I don't know anything abut medicine.**_ ** _If someone who reads me knows about it, my biggest apologies_** _ **.**_

 _ **So, j**_ ** _ust to let you all know, I've been working on a new chapter of "Kindred Spirits! and "I Beliebe In Fate". It's going slowly, but I'm getting there, I hope to have the full chapters soon._**

 _ **Also, I'm planning some other things, however I don't want to post more multi-chapters until I finish the ones I already have. Either way I'm taking notes to continue working on them and post in the future. Probably during the summer hiatus.**_

 _ **Anyway, new chapter, hope you like it. It took me forever so i really hope you like it. Reviews are always welcome!**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 8**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

It's a chaotic morning. I run from one side to the other getting my things for work ready and making some calls while trying to get dressed, dress my children and at the same time prepare their lunch boxes. Allison is throwing a tantrum because she can't find her red shoes and Henry doesn't want to eat his breakfast because he doesn't want to go back to school after a week at home with the flu.

"Honey, you have to go to school!" I beg Henry as I put him his sweater on.

"Mommy, I don't want to go back to that school. Can we find another one?" He says, with a pout that breaks my heart. Henry's social development has been very slow, he is very shy and has trouble to fit and open up in front of large crowds or in front of strangers. He suffers from anxiety and the bullying that he sometimes receives from children at school because of his hearing aid device and his glasses don't help his self-confidence at all.

I've lost count of how many times I've gone to talk with the directors to take action on the bullying issue, but they just don't do anything and that terrifies and angers me. I'm seriously considering educating him at home, but according to his psychologist that wouldn't help his social development at all. I'm so lost, I just want the best for him.

"It's the only school that there is, love. But soon you will go to another one, a big boy school, meanwhile I promise you I'll talk to your teachers, okay?"

He nods slowly, but I can see the fear in his eyes and that makes me want to cry. I hug my baby boy tightly and give him a kiss on the head.

"If someone comes after him I will hit them!" Allison says, coming out of her bedroom with her red shoes.

"You are not going to hit anyone!" I tell her, warningly.

"I will if they bother my brother!" She fights back.

"You won't! Allison... I'm serious".

"Okay". She says, crossing her arms over her chest, but deep down I'm _sure_ she will indeed fight whoever hurts her brother, as always.

"Now please, eat your breakfast while I dress for work. I want those plates empty when I return. Understood?"

"Yes, mommy!" They answer me, in unison. I run to my bedroom to take off my pajamas and get dressed for work, before closing the door I hear Allison whisper to Henry not to be afraid, that she will protect him. I roll my eyes and sigh. I think that means I'll soon be called by directors because Allison pushed some child. It bothers me that for _that_ they do pay attention, but not for the bullying that my sweet boy gets. I'll have to take extreme measures and speak directly with the parents of those children.

I manage to take the kids to school and get to work just in time. I run to my office to start my day when I meet Conrad waiting for me there.

"Honey, what are you doing here?!" I ask, greeting him with a kiss on the cheek.

"I've come to make you a proposal".

"A proposal? What about?"

"I want to propose you a vacation".

I can't help snort. "Vacation? What the hell is that?"

"Oh Teddy, come on! When was the last time you went on vacation?"

"We went to Berlin four months ago; don't you remember?"

"It was a work trip, that you took the children and me to take care of them was different".

I sigh, letting myself fall in my seat. "Conrad, I don't have time for vacations, the children are in school, I've tons of work and so have you. Besides, you know how Henry gets with crowds and strangers".

"I'm not saying to go tomorrow. Let's go the next month, we celebrate the kids' birthday and Christmas. What do you say?"

"I don't know... Where do you plan us to go?"

"Orlando".

I laugh. "What?! Are you crazy?! I thought it would be some place closer, I don't know, Switzerland for example".

"Aren't you tired of the freezing cold weather? Let's go to Orlando, the beach is close, plus the sun, Disneyland, the kids will love Disneyland".

"Ooooh no, no, no, no! I won't take Henry to Disneyland. What do you want? That he has an anxiety attack right there?"

He reaches out his hand across my desk to take my hand. "Honey, remember what Dr. Henderson said, he needs to face his fears".

"I know, Conrad, but... he is so small and he needs me, you should've seen him the other day we went to see the pediatrician, he cried hiding his face in my chest because he was scared of the crowd in the waiting room. I don't know what else to do to help him, the therapies seem not to work and I... I'm so scared, I hate to see my little boy like that".

"I understand, sweetheart, but have faith that he will come out of this, just remember all the long way he has gone since he was born, he will do it again, he is a warrior, just like his mom".

I smile sweetly. "I'll think about the vacations, but I don't promise anything".

"Ok, but think about it, it will be good for the children and for you, who knows and maybe you can meet a hot hunk over there". He tells me, giving me a wink.

I laugh out loud. "If I don't have time for vacation much less for a man. Men are completely ruled out of my list".

"Come on, Teddy! Don't tell me you don't need... you know, some affection".

"Honey, I've so much work that when I get home after helping my children with homework, giving them dinner, bathing them and putting them down to sleep all I want to do is sleep too, so no, the last thing in my head is... affection".

He leans forward to whisper to me. "Tell me, when was the last time you had sex?"

"CONRAD! I'm not going to answer that, it's none of your business!"

"I tell you all about my sex life, it's normal between best friends!" I evade his gaze and try to distract myself with the papers on my desk, I don't want to answer when was the last time I was with a man. "OH MY GOD, THEODORA ALTMAN!"

"What!"

"Don't tell me that the last time you had sex was with... you know, the unmentionable". He whispers, amazed.

"Yes, yes! That was the last time. Are you happy?!"

He looks at me grimacing. "God, 5 years, how—?

" _Almost_ five years!" I correct him.

"Five, almost five, whatever, it's been more than a year. You're practically a virgin again. If I wasn't so gay, I'd deflower you as a favor".

"Oh my God, Conrad, just shut up!" I say, pretending to be angry, but chuckling.

"But really, honey, don't you really feel the need for someone at your side? You know, someone who wakes you up with a kiss in the morning, who gives you flowers, who makes love to you so wildly that you fear to be left in a wheelchair".

I can't help laugh out loud until my laughter disappears and I look at Conrad thoughtfully. "Of course I need that, I'm human, I'm a woman with needs, I'm still young, of course I need love and sex... but I'm not lying when I say I don't have time or energy, although on the other hand... I don't know if I'll be able to trust in another man enough to open my heart to him".

"Honey, don't let a bad experience of your past ruin your future. You don't deserve it, after everything you've been through, you deserve the world, nothing less. Also, casual sex is always there and I can take care of the children for one night. Have you heard of Tinder?"

"You're impossible!" I say, laughing.

"Do you know what you really need? Besides the obviously passionate fling of course".

"What".

"A makeover. Have you ever thought about dying your hair?"

"Hmm, now that you say it, that does interest me".

"Short hair, a bob"

"Brunette".

"And bangs!" We smile widely. He gets up from his chair and takes his cell phone out of the pocket of his white lab coat. "Don't worry, I'll take care of that. You'll look so sexy that if you're lucky you'll make me straight".

The next weekend Conrad takes me to a spa day, according to him I was working too much on my role as head of MedCom as well as my roles as a mom and best friend, so I needed some time for myself. Leila, one of the nurses who treated Allison and Henry when they were in NICU and who had become a great friend to me, offered to take care of them and so Conrad and I went to our spa day.

Full body massage, masks, manicure, pedicure, hair dyeing and cutting. I left the place feeling renewed. It was strange for me to look in the mirror after my makeover, short, brown hair with bangs, all my life I had blonde hair and more or less long so it was like seeing another person, although in a way I'm another person, the years and the pain have changed me, but also the joys, the joy of seeing my children grow every day, the joy of loving them every day has changed me for the better so this small change of look is just the cherry on the top.

The next few days consisted on Conrad trying to persuade me to go on vacation and find someone to have casual sex. In the first he was succeeding, especially when Allison joined him, in the second... not that much, but he managed intrigue me so who knows, maybe I'll take his advice. A little fun doesn't hurt anyone; it's not like I'm getting married. Just in case I downloaded Tinder on my cell phone.

 _ **OWEN**_

I'm at Heathrow airport in London, hoping to board my flight to New York and then take the next flight that would take me to Seattle; I don't know if I want to go back to Seattle, although I don't know if I want to stay here in London either, here or there my life will be just as miserable and empty, but Megan and my mother insisted so much that a change of air would be good to clear my mind and I was high in my rush of " _wanting help"_ that I couldn't refuse so I just went to the airport and bought a plane ticket, I didn't care about the destination and that's how I ended up in London for almost a month.

The boarding room and the airport in general is chaotic, it's December 30, everyone wants to be in their destinations to celebrate New Year, I look around me, hundreds of people equally or more tired than me waiting for their flights; Rome, Dublin, Paris, Toronto, New York, Frankfurt... _Frankfurt_.

 _Almost_ five years ago I was in Frankfurt, and then in Landstuhl when I went knocking at her door in the middle of the night and she, even before opening the door or knowing who it was, answered with her sassiness, " _keep your pants on_ ". I can't help smiling when I remember that night and how her face went from amazement to happiness in a matter of seconds, throwing herself into my arms and standing on her tiptoes to wrap her slender arms around my neck while I buried my face in her neck and inhaled that smell so familiar and now so missed.

Almost five years ago of that night, almost five years without knowing _anything_ about her, all I know is that she is still the Chief of MedCom and that's because occasionally I still look for news in google or check my army email to know about the latest army news, she's still the chief, which means that she is still living in Germany, but I don't know if she is ok, I want to think she is, I want to think that she managed to keep going after the stupid thing I did that night. Is she with someone? I don't know why, but thinking about her with someone else causes me great anxiety, although I've no right.

I take the book I've been " _reading_ " for the last two months, this trip was supposed to make me forget, but it just made me miss her more, miss her, _Teddy_. In all these years there has not been a single day in which I didn't think about her, I was stupid, she was the only one who was always there for me and I took her for granted. Beth, Cristina and Amelia came and left, but none of them left a gap in me like the one Teddy left.

I try to concentrate on what I'm reading, but it's useless, I close the book and I better take out my headphones to listen to some music, I hope the music makes me feel something, at least sadness. I scan the waiting room with my eyes, dozens of people, dozens of families, suddenly something catches my attention.

No, it can't be. I rub my eyes to see better, sure the fatigue is playing ticks with my mind making me see _just_ what I want to see. I get up from my seat and take a couple steps closer to my goal to see up close, my mind isn't playing, she is here, although she is extremely changed I would recognize that sweet face and her bright smile in the middle of a million people. It's her, _Teddy_.

She looks so different, she has changed her long golden waves for a short brunette bob and bangs, she has also gained some weight, but it only makes her look more spectacular than ever, her hips and thighs are thicker, her breasts fuller, but it's definitely her, Teddy... _my_ _Teddy_.

She carries two children holding hands, they seem the same age; a little blond boy with huge glasses that dwarf his face and who clings tightly to a doll and a redheaded girl who carries a colorful backpack with a lot of charms. Are they her children? I don't understand anything. Then I see her interacting with a man, attractive I must say, and my heart stops.

 _ **TEDDY**_

We made our way through the huge waiting room of the London airport, we walk quickly, the boarding gates will open in no time. Conrad with our carry ons and I with one of my children taken from each hand.

"Mommy, can you hold me?" My little boy shakes my hand to lift him up in my arms.

"Not now, baby, there are a lot of people and I have to take your sister by the hand too".

"What are we doing here? Shouldn't we be in the first class lounge?" Conrad complains as he pulls our luggage.

"Maybe if you hadn't wasted so much time refreshing yourself after landing and you hadn't encouraged Allison to go to the dutyfree, we would be comfortably there!" I spat, annoyed.

"You didn't expect me not to pamper myself after an 8 hour flight, didn't you?"

"I'm coming from an 8 hour flight too, taking care of two children, without sleeping and without refreshing myself!" I fire back and Conrad and the children look at me astonished. I huff and sit the children in the chairs then I address Conrad. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to talk to you like that... it's just that... there are so much people and Henry…"

"I know, darling, I know, you know you don't need to explain anything to me, I understand, go sit with him, I'll entertain Allison".

Finally we settled into the waiting room to board our flight to Frankfurt, finally home, I don't know how he did it, but Conrad convinced me, with a lot of help from Allison, to go to Orlando on vacation. She wanted to go to Disneyland and he wanted some tropical weather and why not, some beach. At first I put some resistance, Henry doesn't deal very well with crowds and tends to get very anxious but after Conrad told him it was Woody's home he wanted to go on vacations too, so when I least expected it I was in Florida, with a weather that was not exactly what I remembered from my time in Jacksonville at the Mayo Clinic, but it was certainly considerably warmer than the freezing cold of Landstuhl.

Anyway, deep down I knew that I wouldn't have refused to go on vacation, it had been years since I had taken some time off, long before Henry and Allison were born, and once they arrived it was even more impossible, since then everything was a whirlwind of work, depression, taking care of two newborns in the NICU, diapers, breastfeeding, dealing with postpartum depression, more work, dealing with my daughter who claimed my attention while I spent a lot of my free time taking extra care of my little boy, teaching him to speak sign language, teaching him to adapt to a world that considered him _different_. So yeah, we all needed this vacation and even though at first my little boy was a little scared at the change in his routine and the big crowds as soon as we walked through the gates of Disneyland, especially Toy Story Land and he saw Woody, his favorite character in the entire world, all his fears disappeared in an instant, the twins were ecstatic and seeing them happy made me happy too, so immediately those vacations became the best in a long, long time.

Allison was curled up in Conrad's lap watching a movie on his iPad while it was time to board, while Henry was sitting next to me, still, rocking his little legs that hung from the chair back and front, looking at the sea people around him and clinging tightly to his Sheriff Woody doll; He was scared, I immediately noticed, but I also remembered the psychiatrist's recommendations about helping him overcome his fears, to help him to integrate into this cruel world that had pointed him so many times during his short and innocent existence.

I started caressing his blond wavy hair, combing the few baby curls that still formed on the tips to reassure him.

He tapped my leg gently. " _Mommy, I want to go home_ ". He told me, with his hands using sign language and he looked at me with his huge crystal blue eyes and with a pout that broke my soul, I knew he was scared when in spite of wearing the hearing aid device he used sign language, too scared to talk. In spite of the fact that practically shortly after he was born he was placed in a hearing aid device I insisted on teaching him sign language, with time Allison, Conrad and I learned it too.

"Soon baby, soon". I kissed him on the top of his head.

"Mommy, can I play with my puzzle?" Henry and puzzles.

"Not now, honey, soon we will board the plane and we have to be ready".

"Ok mommy... mommy, can you hold me?"

"Of course if my love, come here". Immediately he jumped in my lap and buried his small head in my chest, bringing his arms and legs to his chest, making himself a small ball, I bring him closer to my chest and kiss his head repeatedly.

Puzzles and Legos were Henry's best distraction when his anxiety hit, I hated to see my baby boy like that, anxious and without access to his coping mechanism. I tried to remember the reassuring words of his psychiatrist who told me that with a lot of patience and hard work in a short time Henry could live a life like any other child of his age, despite his deafness and his progressive blindness, but at the same time those reassuring words were not very helpful when I remembered the last one, that was the one I was most afraid of and the one that kept me awake at night.

In the last couple of years every few months Henry's prescription kept changing and the ophthalmologists didn't give me good forecasts, luckily it wasn't Retinoblastoma although sometimes I wish it was, at least we would know what we were fighting, but for more medical test doctors made they couldn't find the exact cause of his accelerated loss of vision, the day would come when he would completely lose sight and, hopefully, only a cornea transplant could return the vision to that huge pair of crystalline blue eyes even though it wasn't 100% sure.

My boy, so small and so abused by life. Sometimes I feel guilty, I feel that I caused this to him, that I didn't put of my part to have the best possible pregnancy and that he was born this way because of me. Although every day Conrad reminds me that what happened to him wasn't my fault, I can't help feeling guilty; It's proven that babies can feel the mother's mood in the womb and during all those months that I carried them inside the only thing they felt was sadness, sadness at their father's rejection that even to this day my heart still breaks every time I think about it, every time I think about him.

I don't want to go back there, my children need me strong, they are my biggest motor in life, the reason to get up every morning. For them I must remain strong. For my girl, my little fiery redhead, so extroverted, so full of life and always so overprotective of her little brother, always ready to fight anyone who hurt him, even with his four years of life and 1 meter of height a glance from her moss green eyes could put more than one on their knees. And for my boy, my sweet little boy, the opposite of his sister, so introverted and fighting battles in cold hospital rooms from the day he was born, dealing with hearing aid devices, glasses and sign language from an early age. What would Owen say about all this? What would he say if he knew that we are parents of two beautiful children? I shake the thought off of my head, that will never happen and I must say that it's better that way.

" _First class and business class passengers on flight F141 bound for Frankfurt, please board gate 9_ ".

Finally! We all get up from our seats, Conrad takes Allison by the hand and both go to the boarding gate I follow behind with Henry in my arms, he sinks his little head into my neck. Suddenly someone shouts my name. That voice.

" _TEDDY!_ "

Then someone pulls me by the shoulder.

 _ **OWEN**_

Since I saw her it was as if something had stuck my feet to the ground, I couldn't move, I couldn't get close to her. I wanted to reach her, look her in the face, see her beautiful green eyes again after so many years, see her smile.

I stand there while I watch her snuggle up that little boy while the girl is curled up in that man's lap, they look like a family, probably they are, my heart sinks. Selfish, I know. I'm jealous that she has moved on while my life was a downhill from the day I left her apartment almost five years ago.

But I feel so warm inside when I see her repeatedly kiss the head of that child and miraculously I can take a couple of steps closer, I want to see her closely, I want to see them closely to her and that beautiful pair of children. They are beautiful and for a reason I can't explain why seeing them makes me smile, maybe it's because of the idea that they are hers, I don't know, but they are so beautiful that the first thing they provoke me is to lift my lips in a huge smile, the biggest one I've had probably in years.

I look at them and suddenly they remind me of someone, I try to search in my head, but I can't place who exactly they remember me of. That girl with her wavy fire-red hair, that boy with his golden hair. Who? Who? Who? Suddenly, as if the light of realization was opening in my head I remember of _who_. Of course! That girl reminds me of Megan and him of me.

No, it can't be. I scold myself, this is just my brain making me see what I want to see, I want to see in those children something of me, I want to see in those children of _her_ something of _me_. I know that's impossible, I know Teddy, she would've told me of their existence.

I keep looking, as if by looking at them I would find an answer. It's been almost five years since Teddy and I were together, these children seem to be around 4 years old. No Hunt, stop!

I fight between approaching her and greeting or not. I don't know what her reaction will be. Is she still angry at me? Has she already forgiven me? No, the best thing is to let her go, let her be happy.

But to think that I'm so close to her, that I'm only a few steps away and that if I don't go right now this will probably be the last time in my life that I see her makes me move my feet and go to her. I'm so close, I can almost touch her with the tips of my fingers. I _am_ touching her with the tips of my fingers.

 _"TEDDY!"_ Without realizing it, I grabbed her shoulder and turned her towards me…

* * *

 _ **CLIFFHANGER!**_ _**D:**_

 _ **What do you think will happen now?**_


	9. Chapter 9

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 9**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

No, this cannot be. I can't react, I just look at him with eyes full of surprise and horror as I cling tightly to my son's small body.

Of _all_ the places in the world, among thousands of people, why here and why _him_? Why in these moments just when my mind was thinking about him? Why now that my children, _our_ children are here? Owen is not stupid, it's a matter of seconds for him to put two and two together, not to mention that both Henry and Allison are the vivid image of him, except for the green eyes of my little girl and my boy's blond hair, all their traits are completely of the Hunt family. Maybe that's why I couldn't forget him after all these years, not only he left me two beautiful children, but every day I see him in them.

I don't know what to do, I want to turn around and run away. Apparently not only I thought about it, but I did it because once again he takes me by the arm this time holding me tightly.

 _"Teddy, wait!"_

 _ **OWEN**_

I can see the shock in her eyes, her eyes are wide open and she looks so scared that I'm afraid she'll faint at any moment. She clings tightly to the boy's body who's trying to lift his head from her shoulder to see what happens, but she holds him still with her hand.

"Owen". She finally says, in a choked sigh that if it weren't because our bodies are inches away, I wouldn't have been able to hear amid the bustle of all the people.

 _"Teddy, honey, hurry up, we have to board now!"_ The man who accompanies her shouts at her from a few meters ahead while he hands his passport and boarding pass, as well as the girl's. She seems to be struggling between turning around and leave or not and starts pacing in her place. "I'm coming". She says, but more to herself. The boy finally manages to free his little head from her hand and turns to look at me. As soon as my eyes make contact with his it's as if a sharp blow had left me without air. Those eyes, that face... that boy is identical to me.

"Teddy". I repeat again to make her react, but she doesn't, she just stands there looking at me terrified.

"Owen, please". Her voice is pleading and that breaks my heart, she didn't like my presence, on the contrary, the only thing I did was to upset and hurt her. The boy looks at me warily with his head buried into Teddy's neck and clinging to his Sheriff Woody doll. She turns around to go to the boarding gate and I stop her again.

"They... they are mine, aren't they? They are my…"

Words aren't needed, I can see it in her eyes, in a matter of seconds tears are pooling in her eyes and her jaw trembles, she holds the little boy now hugging her neck tighter against her body, as if wanting to protect him from me, as if she were afraid that I would take him from her arms.

"Goodbye Owen". She turns around and heads hurriedly towards the boarding gate, the little boy looks at me shyly over Teddy's shoulder and then waves me goodbye. I stand there, watching as she hands in their boarding passes and their passports.

"TEDDY!" I shout, not being able to contain myself. She gives me one last look before getting lost in the tunnel to the plane.

No, I can't let them go! She didn't confirm anything with words, but even after all these years it was enough for me to look her in the eyes to know the answer. Suddenly I feel dizzy and suffocated, this is too much to process in just a few minutes, I still didn't recover from the shock of seeing her again after so many years and now this. I am a father. They are _my_ kids. She hid them from me all this time. I can't let them go, I can't lose her again, I can't lose them, I want answers, I need answers and I need them now.

I head for the boarding gate stand and as soon as I get there the young lady in charge of receiving boarding passes stops me with her thick English accent.

"Gentleman, your boarding pass please".

"This isn't my flight, I just—"

"Then please clear the area".

"No, you don't understand... my children are on that plane!"

"Are your children being taken against their will?" The young lady sounds concerned. I don't know what to answer, they are definitely not being taken against their will, they don't even know that I'm their father. I can't stop Teddy from taking them.

I look around trying to think what to do, but my head spins with dozens of questions. Why didn't she tell me? Why did she hide them from me all these years? I don't even know how to feel, I don't know whether to be happy at the thought of being a father, to be upset with her for hiding them from me, I don't know, I'm too shocked to think and feel clearly.

 _"Passengers on flight N958 bound for New York, please board gate 13"_

It's my turn to board, but I can't go back, I can't go back to Seattle without first facing Teddy. Without thinking twice, I take my things and run.

 _ **TEDDY**_

As soon as I get to our seats I sit Henry and then I drop into mine. I lean forward with my elbows on my thighs and my hands covering my face. I breathe deeply and slowly. Immediately Conrad notices it.

"Honey, what's up?!" He asks me, worried, kneeling next to me.

As soon as I look into his eyes, the tears run like rivers through my cheeks.

"Teddy, what's wrong?! You are scaring me!"

"Mommy?" My little girl stands next to Conrad. She looks scared. Then I feel Henry's little hand on my back. Luckily Conrad is immediately in charge of the situation.

"Children, everything is fine. Allison, go back to your seat. Henry, fasten your seatbelt. Don't get up of your seats, Mommy and I have to talk".

He asks one of the flight attendants if she can keep an eye on the children and then he takes me by the hand and leads me to the area that separates first class from business.

"Teddy what's going on?!"

"He was there".

"He? Who? What are you talking about?!"

"Owen". It was all I could say before bursting into tears. He takes me in his arms trying to calm me down. "It's over Conrad, he knows the truth, he realized it!" I said, hiccupping.

He takes me by the shoulders forcing me to look him in the eyes. "You mean...?" I nod. "No Teddy, this isn't over. He was the one who gave up all this from the beginning, he can't do anything to you, he can't take the children away, they don't even have his last name!"

"He can take me to court, demand a DNA test!"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there".

"What am I going to do, Conrad?!"

"At the moment nothing, but if he shows up then I'll have a long conversation with him and I assure you he will never bother you or the children again, okay?"

I just nod while I clean my tears with the top of my hand. He hugs me again and then the flight attendant interrupts us.

"Madame, gentlemen, please go back to your seats, we are about to take off".

"Mommy, why are you crying?!" Allison asks, standing up from her seat as soon as she sees me, but Conrad stops her.

"Mommy is fine honey, she just has a headache". He tells her to reassure her, sits her down and fastens her seatbelt and takes his place in the cabin next to her.

I sink into my seat and immediately Henry sticks his little head over the edge that divides our first class cabins. "Mommy, take it". He gives me his Sheriff Woody doll. "It's to make you feel better, he always makes me feel better". A lump form in my throat and I take the doll.

"Thanks baby, now sit down. We are going home!" I say, smiling cheerfully, trying to sound ok when inside I'm devastated but I won't let my children see that.

 _ **OWEN**_

After a heated argument with security that didn't want to allow me to leave the boarding area, and another with the people of the airline to solve the issue about my cabin baggage I'm finally out of the airport, now I have to think about what I'll do and what I won't do. Definitely returning to Seattle is not an option, where I have to go is to Germany, to Landstuhl.

I don't how to start, my head is completely blocked and I can't think clearly. I feel everything at once, after years of not feeling anything, I'm feeling everything at once and it's overwhelming. I want to laugh, I want to cry, to run, jump, shout to the world that I am the father of two children.

I drop to the floor on my knees crying and laughing at the same time. I am a dad. I am really dad.

People look at me curiously, but I don't give them importance. _I AM A DAD!_

I must think very well about my next step. I take out my cell phone and I call Megan.

 _"Hey, you, how was London? Ready to come back? We miss you!"_ Megan tells me as soon as she answers my call.

"I'm not coming back". I say, bluntly.

 _"What?! Why?!"_

"I'm a dad, Megan!"

 _"WHAT?! Owen, don't play with that! What did you do? Don't tell me you knocked up an english girl!"_

I laugh, for the first time in years I laugh! "No sister, none of that. I'm a dad, I'm the father of twins, a boy and a girl... with Teddy!"

 _"WHAAAAAAAAT?!"_ Megan shouts on the other side of the phone.

"Listen, I don't have much time to talk, please don't say anything to mom yet. Soon I will call you to give you more details".

 _"Wait! You don't pretend to leave me with this uncertainty. I need to know the details!"_

"Not even I know the details, but I'll call you as soon as I have them... I AM DAD, MEGAN! A DAD!" And I hang up the phone before she keeps questioning me.

I go back inside the airport to the sales counter to buy a plane ticket for the next available flight to Frankfurt. I need to see Teddy, I'm so upset with her, I want to know why she did it, why she hid my children from me. I need to see my children! I want to know them, I want them to know me, I want to let them know who I am!

I manage to get a flight to Frankfurt for that same night. The hours go by painfully slow. I try to think about how I'll confront Teddy, I know I did wrong and she was right to be upset with me, but what she did was bigger, to hide my children's existence, that's unforgivable! I want answers, but I don't want to fight with her, especially for the children, I don't want their first image of their father to be fighting their mother, after all they don't know me, I don't want them to hate me even before they know who I am.

Finally, the time comes to board and I can't stop thinking about what I'll do once in Landsthul, according to a colleague who works at MedCom Teddy still lives in the same place, which I find strange, I still remember her apartment perfectly, although large it only had one bedroom, but now with two kids… whatever, I'll go there.

I arrive in Frankfurt and immediately I take the train to Landsthul, the closer I get the more nervous I feel. After almost 5 hours between plane and train I finally leave the Landsthul train station, I take a taxi and I give Teddy's address, it doesn't take me even ten minutes to get there. I get out of the taxi and my legs tremble, I enter the building and I go to Teddy's apartment, number 3, I breathe deeply and knock on the door…

* * *

 _ **Owen came to Teddy's house!**_

 _ **What do you think will happen now?**_

 _ **Will they fight?**_

 _ **What will the children think of Owen?**_

 _ **Will he see them?**_

 _ **Will Teddy tell him about the phone call?**_

 _ **Who do you think was the person who spoke with Teddy almost 5 years ago?**_

 _ **Reviews are always apreciated! :)**_


	10. Chapter 10

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **Long chapter and a lot of things going on!**_

 _ **Without giving much away for those who maybe still don't watch the new episode, I'm still in shock!**_ ** _If I have one spare hour this weekend maybe I will write a short one shot with my theory for the finale_**

 _ **Enjoy, comments are always welcome!**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 10**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

We arrived at Landstuhl around 5 in the afternoon. The children are still full of energy after sleeping through practically both flights, they talk and talk, but I can't pay attention to their words, they are like quiet noises in the distance. My mind is completely flooded with thoughts about Owen. This is the end, it won't take long for him to reach me and the children. The thought alone terrifies me. Should I go at least for a few days to a hotel? No, I don't want to scare the children.

I have to think, think very carefully about what I'll do if Owen appears in front of me. _He was the one who gave up all this_. I try to tell myself again and again. _He has no right over the children_. I record the words in my mind as a sacred mantra. _Do not be afraid_.

I think about calling the police, but what would I say? I still have no evidence that Owen is remotely close. I could call my lawyer, ask him to have a restraining order ready. I don't know, I don't know. My head is spinning and the throb in my temples and nape will soon turn me completely crazy. I just want to go to bed and sleep and forget everything, but that's a luxury that I can't give myself right now. I have two children, two beautiful children who have gone through hell and back and they deserve their mother sane and healthy. I swore it to them, I can't fail them now that their lives are probably about to change forever.

" _MOMMY_!" Allison shouts to bring my attention.

"Yes, yes, tell me, baby!" I answer her, coming out of my trance.

"I'm talking to you!" She tells me, with a pout crossing her arms over her chest. I look at her. God, she looks so much like Megan. Then I look at my little boy, his blue eyes, his nose, his mouth, he's _all_ Owen.

"And I'm listening, my love". I tell her, combing her long ginger waves.

"That's not true! You look sad, mommy!"

"Sad?! I'm not sad! Who told you that?!" I answer with false positivism.

"Is it because of that man?" Henry asks me, snuggling up beside me and I take him tightly and give him a kiss on the top of his head.

"What man?!" Allison asks, scowling at me.

"Nobody, nobody. Now go to your bedroom to put on your pajamas, it's been a long trip".

"Ok, mommy". Henry says, getting up from his seat on the sofa and walking towards his bedroom. My little warrior, so noble and good.

"But mom, it's still clear outside and I'm hungry! And you still have to give us our bath!" Allison complains and my head throbs more and more.

"Pajamas!" I emphasize with an authoritative voice. She huffs and turns around going to her bedroom too. I shake my head slowly watching as both go to their respective rooms.

I look at my apartment; it has changed so much since the last time Owen was here. Now it's not the spacious apartment with only one bedroom. I could say it's a whole house. After the twins were born the apartment next door was put on sale, I didn't want to leave this place, these walls kept so many memories that good or bad were _my_ memories, what made me what I am now, I couldn't leave them go just like that.

So without thinking twice I bought the apartment and while I practically lived in the NICU, I ordered to make all the necessary modifications to make a single place and that everything was ready by the time the twins and I returned home, our home. Now I had 3 bedrooms and a little study for me, the living room and the kitchen were the same, only now I had a whole dining room and not just the kitchen island. It was an amazing place, it was our home. Our home that would probably soon be devastated by the storm that was coming.

"Hey darling, this is the last suitcase". Conrad says, coming in with the last of the luggage, closing the door behind him and dropping on the couch next to me. I sigh deeply.

"What am I going to do, Conrad? I know Owen, I can almost swear that he didn't go back to Seattle and that he is on his way here. What am I going to tell the children?!"

"The truth". He answers me, bluntly. "They have a father but he didn't want to be involved with them or you".

"What? Conrad, I can't tell them that!" I argue back.

"So? Will you tell them you took them away from him?"

"No, no, not that either, but... I've never spoken to them about their father, they've never asked, I thought that I'd never see Owen again, I never thought about what I'd say if one day I had to tell my children about their father".

He purses his lips at me in sympathy and places his hand on my thigh. "Then darling, I think the time has come and I know you'll find the right words. They're smart, they'll understand".

"Henry already asked me about _'that man'_. Oh Conrad, I'm so scared!"

"You shouldn't".

"Can you stay tonight? I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling".

"You know I love sleep on your sofa and be woken up by the twins putting things on my face". I can't help laughing. "Now go with them, talk to them".

I nod and head for Henry's room where he and Allison are whispering something I can't understand. "Hey, my loves!" They turn to see me surprised, clearly I caught them in the middle of something. I go to them and I lie on the bed, each of them immediately curls up on each side of me. "I need to talk to you, my loves".

"Is it about _that man_?" Allison asks me.

"I told her about the man at the airport. Am I in trouble, mommy?" Henry adds, with a worried voice. I kiss his head.

"No baby, you're not in trouble. And yes, I want to talk to you about _that_ man". God, how should I start this? "That man—" Right at that moment my cell phone interrupts me. _Crap!_

It's from the hospital, they urgently need me. Are they kidding? I'm in break!

"Look babies, I've to go to the hospital, they need me. Uncle Conrad will stay with you, he will give you dinner and he will tuck you in. Ok?"

"Ok, mommy". They answer me in unison and I run to the hospital even when I feel that my body won't keep me awake, let alone stand up for much longer.

All the way to the hospital and all the time that I'm working on the emergency my head is elsewhere, I can't stop thinking about Owen appearing in my house while I'm not there. Thousands of bad thoughts come to my mind, I know they are safe with Conrad, but I can't stop thinking about the possibility of him coming and taking them, it's stupid I know, but my overprotective maternal instinct is in charge of my emotions and thoughts right now. I can't think rationally.

When I finally get off the hospital it's well past midnight, I open the door cautiously so as not to wake up Conrad, but I realize that he is not on the couch. I go to Allison's room, but she's not there. My heart stops. Then I go to Henry's room and they're there huddled in bed. I breath in relief and smile to myself, turn off the night lamp and close the door behind me to go to my bedroom. Just at that moment someone knocks at the door.

My heart races and an icy chill runs through my body. I think I know who it is. No, correction, I _know_ who it is. I walk with trembling and cautious steps towards the door, I look through the peephole just to confirm my suspicions.

I don't know what to do, whether I open or not the door this will go out of control. If I open, he'll want to see the children and if not, he'll keep knocking until I open the door. He knocks again, this time with more insistence.

 _He was the one who gave up all this._

 _He has no right over the children._

 _Do not be afraid._

I straighten my back and lift my chin with a stern expression on my face, although inside I'm crumbling. I open the door.

As soon as I open the door Owen smiles at me timidly, I don't know what he is playing, but I won't follow his game.

"Teddy". He tells me, softly.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, harshly. "You've nothing to do here, my children are sleeping and it's late, so please, go away!"

His expression changes, I can see the anger on his face, but I stand firm. "Your children? They are _my_ children too, I've the right to see them, to know them, they have the right to know their father. How could you do this to me? How could you do this to us?"

I chuckle humorlessly. "First of all, lower your voice or you will wake them up!" I mumble through clenched teeth. "And rights? You don't have any rights over them, you renounced to them, they are not yours and you are _nothing_ of them".

"What are you talking about?!" He exclaims, taking a step towards me and I involuntarily take a step back.

"Don't you dare to come closer! I want you away from me, away from my home and away from my children!"

"THEY ARE MY CHILDREN TOO!" He yells back.

"The moment you decided you didn't want to know anything about me you lost every right over them!"

"You won't keep them away from me!" He warns me, coming into my house making me feel completely cornered, it seems that I've lost my will, each step he takes closer I take one back. I can almost swear that he notices the fear on my face.

"Get out of here!" I warn him.

"Not until I see my children first!" He fires back me and takes me by the arms, I jolt apart sharply.

" _Mommy?"_ Just at that moment Henry comes to the living room witnessing everything.

Owen's expression changes again, and where there was hardness now there is sweetness and softness. He stares at him, but that only intimidates my little boy who sees him terrified.

"Mommy". He repeats, this time with a trembling voice and I go to kneel in front of him and he throws himself into my arms crying and sinking his face into my chest. "What is happening?"

"Everything's fine baby, go back to your bedroom and don't get out of there, okay?" I try to encourage him to go back to his bedroom, but he clings more tightly to me.

"No mommy, I'm scared!" He whimpers against my chest. "Why is that man here?"

"What's going on?!" Conrad comes to the living room followed by Allison. Great, just what I needed. "What are you doing here?!" He questions Owen going to him and I'm afraid this will turn physical.

"Conrad, don't!" I run to stand in the middle of Owen and Conrad while Henry cries scared and Allison runs to hug him.

"Teddy, take the children to the bedroom, I'll take care of this!" Conrad tells, not leaving room to complains.

"Conrad". I say, pleadingly. "Please".

"It's okay love. I know what to do". He kisses me on the forehead and I give Owen one last look. He looks angry, confused, sad, hundreds of emotions go through him.

I take the children to my bedroom and close the door with lock. Allison looks at me confused with her huge green eyes with pooled tears waiting for an answer. Henry can't stop crying; he is in the middle of one of his crises and I'm about to have an emotional breakdown myself too.

"It's okay, my loves, come here". I try to calm my children by snuggling with them in bed. I cover their ears with my hands in case anything could be heard from out there and I whisper a lullaby with a trembling voice.

 _ **OWEN**_

Everything went to hell, just the least I wanted to provoke was what happened. I didn't want to scare the children, I didn't want to make a big fuss and that the first impression of me was that of an angry man fighting their mother. I've ruined everything again. It seems as if happiness stings my hands and I couldn't keep it for too long.

Teddy takes the children by the hand to which I believe is still her bedroom. Before closing the door, the little girl gives me a fulminating look that breaks my heart in thousands of pieces.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you noticed the time? Couldn't you wait until morning?" The man who came out of one of the bedrooms questions me, looking at me harshly and with his hands on his hips. I scan him up and down and stare at his face, it's attractive I'm not going to deny it. Big honey eyes under long curly lashes, hair almost the same shade as her eyes, white skin and well-defined muscles. But he came out of one of the other bedrooms, not the one I think is still Teddy's so I don't know what exactly is his relationship with her. I look around the place, everything is so changed, but the couch, that couch by the window and the pink blanket are still there. It makes me feel warm inside.

But this man in front of me makes all that warmth turn into vivid fire, I don't like him, I don't like the idea of my children probably believing that he is their father or that they even call him dad.

"I have to see her, I need an explanation of why she did what she did".

He looks at me raising his eyebrows in disbelief. "What she did? What she did was protect herself, protect herself from you, protect those innocent children from you!"

"Protect herself? She is the one putting us through all this headache!"

The incredulity grows in his face. I don't know what Teddy has said about me but whatever it was, surely was bad.

"Are you serious? Man, don't come and tell me this is a lot for you when you were the one who turned his back on her. I had to see her fall quickly and deeply into a hole of depression that almost cost hers and the children's life after your rejection. She almost died giving birth to the children, she lived for months in the NICU and all by herself she picked up the broken pieces that you left while raising her kids, so don't come here to complain about what she is putting you through because I can swear you it's _nothing_ compared to all the hell she went through after that stupid call!"

Now I am the confused one. They keep mentioning rejections, that I didn't want to know anything about Teddy, a call... I don't understand anything. "What call are you talking about?!" I ask him, frowning really confused. He chuckles humorlessly.

"It's not time for games, okay? Teddy called you and you were not even man enough to tell her you didn't want anything with her, you preferred to put someone else on the phone!"

"W-what? That is not true! Teddy never called me, or rather, I was never notified that she called!"

"Do you really expect me to believe you?"

"I swear by the life of my mother and those children who are in there and now I know are my children that nobody ever told me that Teddy had called. What do I have to do to prove it?!"

He pauses for a moment, looks at me intently as if analyzing my gestures and my movements. His expression softens a bit and he looks at me with a slight frown. "It was almost five years ago, a couple of months after... after you came here. I was there, Teddy called you to tell you everything, first your ex-wife answered, she hung up and didn't want to call again, I convinced her, she did it again but this time another person answered... according to that person you didn't want to be bothered by Teddy anymore".

I try to search in the dusty and vague memories in my head. Months after returning from Germany I got Leo, then Betty and Amelia in addition... _remember, remember_ , I repeat to myself. "Is there any other sign? Did she tell you her name?"

"No, nothing. But I remember that there was a lot of fuss in the background. You and a woman were screaming, a baby was crying... it sounded like a disaster in there".

I continue searching in my mind, dusting off memories. Suddenly it comes to my head. A _big_ fight I had with Amelia. Everything was going to hell, Betty's parents had come back for her, she didn't want to go back with them, she wanted to stay with us and on top of that Amelia had suspicions that I wasn't totally _with_ her. I remember a big fight, Leo crying, Betty, Amelia and me screaming, Amelia questioning whether I was still in love with Teddy or not, Betty begging us to please fix things so she could stay with us... _The call_! After the fight I remember that Amelia told me, very reluctantly, that someone had called my cell phone for something _urgent_ and _personal_ , but hadn't given a name.

"I remember! But things were not like that, Amelia did tell me that someone had called, but Teddy didn't tell her it was her!"

"Yes, she didn't tell her who she was, she hung up almost immediately, but she called again after a few minutes".

"I didn't receive notification of any other call, unless..."

Oh no, it cannot be what I'm thinking. No, she couldn't have done that, Betty couldn't have lied to Teddy... or maybe she did, maybe in her eagerness to keep Amelia and I together she was the one who lied to Teddy telling her that I didn't want anything with her.

No, no, no. I feel like all the blood in my body boils, it was her! Who else? No one else was there that day besides Amelia and Betty, it had to be her. Because of her, because of her I missed all this. I start to shake with rage and pace back and forth bringing my hands to my head.

"Is everything all right?" The man asks me, curiously.

"I _need_ to talk to Teddy, please! All this has an explanation, I swear, but..." I want to scream, I want to scream so badly, but I swallow all my anger so as not to scare the children or Teddy.

"I don't know if it's the best moment. She is exhausted, and your visit didn't do her any good".

"Please! I need—"

" _It's okay, Conrad_ ". Teddy's soft voice interrupts us. She comes out of the room already changed in her pajamas, still looking at me sternly with her arms crossed over her chest. "Can you go check on the children? It took me a lot, but they are finally asleep".

The man nods and retires to the room giving Teddy a kiss in temple on his way.

 _ **TEDDY**_

I eavesdropped a glimpse of the conversation between Owen and Conrad, he told him it had been a mistake, he mentioned Amelia and someone named Betty. I want to hear it, I want to know what really happened, but I don't want to let my guard down, I _shouldn't_ do it.

However, something deep inside me tells me that he was being honest, I remember when he saw me at the airport, he looked happy to see me, and then when I opened the door, before receiving him with my stern attitude he was smiling. He looked excited, touched, happy. That's what makes me believe that all this has a valid explanation, although I'm scared of whatever he's going to say.

"Can we talk civilly?" I ask, sternly. His look this time is soft.

"Yes, yes! Teddy, I swear all this has an explanation!"

We both go to the living room. Suddenly I have a _déjà vu_.

 _"What do you want me to say? That you were flawless and brilliant and that you anticipated my every move and that I knew the moment we shared that OR... that I wanted to do that for the rest of my life?"_

I shudder. Focus, Theodora!

"I... I don't know how to start all this, Teddy".

"Just tell me why did you say that".

"I didn't say that! I swear, I swear to Megan, to my mother, to God that I _never_ said that!"

"Then why did that girl tell me you didn't want to know anything about me?!"

He sighs deeply and I see him close his hands in tight fists, his face turns red and his jaw tenses. "I'm almost 100% sure it was Betty... a young drug addict that Amelia and I were helping". He spits with anger and I look at him confused but I don't say anything. "After... _that_ night, I went back to America and all I did was a series of reckless actions after reckless actions. I was really bad, I wanted to fill the void that you left and that I made... I wanted to give a new meaning to my life, fill a void, so I went to an adoption agency to sign up as a foster parent".

He looks at me to analyze my reaction, but I try to keep my face expressionless, although inside my heart gives a leap. He realizes that I don't say anything and keeps going.

"Leo arrived a few weeks later." He smiles sweetly. "Amelia jumped in to help me and although I never asked her to do so she was very helpful, then Betty came, Leo's teenage mom... everything seemed perfect, or at least in my head it was, we had this fantasy of the perfect family but it was only an illusion. Eventually Betty became fond of us, she didn't want to go back to her parents from whom she had ran off, she wanted us to be a family, but... it was impossible, we were just a fantasy, I wasn't completely _in_ the relationship or kind of relationship I had with Amelia... I couldn't stop thinking about you and she noticed it. I remember that day, we fought horribly, we all shouted and from there everything kept fracturing more and more until we decided to break up for good before ending hating each other. But until now I realize that you called, I swear I didn't know! You have to believe me, Teddy, please!"

He begs me reaching his hand to take mine, but I shake it away. I get up from the sofa trying to process everything Owen had just told me. I remember how I felt that day, how I let myself fall after that day, how my depression almost took my babies' lives, how they fought for their lives, therapies, hospital visits, illness, depression, frustration, everything I went through _alone_ , all because of a misunderstanding, a lie.

I know Owen is being honest, I can see it in his eyes and notice in his voice. I feel so frustrated, I want to run away, I want to find that Betty and strangle her with my own hands. We were deprived of happiness because her.

Tears run down my cheeks and I cover my mouth with one hand and with the other I hold myself from the mantelpiece.

"It was a lie". I say, in a choked voice.

"It was". Owen answers in a trembling voice.

 _ **OWEN**_

Seeing Teddy crying after my confession just makes me want to break something, scream out loud and hit someone.

I get up from the sofa and go to the window opening it wide open, I feel I'm suffocating.

Outside is starting to fall a soft snow, I inhale deeply the cold air of Landstuhl filling my lungs, waiting for the cold to calm the fire of rage that boils inside. But it's not enough. This is too much, I can't contain my emotions inside for much longer. Teddy cries behind my back, my children are terrified of me, locked in the room, I spent miserable years without knowing of their existence, Teddy was living in a lie, we were robbed of our love because of a lie.

I want to get all this out, I want to let go of all the rage and impotence that I have inside. Without thinking I close my hand in a fist and smash the wall one, two, three, four times while I let out a chocked cry.

Teddy immediately goes to my side and pulls me away from the wall. "Owen, stop, stop, please! They will hear you!" She begs me crying, taking my fist between her hands and taking it to her chest.

I jolt away from her and I turn around trying to regulate my breathing, trying to handle my emotions, but they're too many. I turn to see Teddy again and we both keep our eyes on each other. Our watery eyes, our frustrated and devastated eyes, five stolen years of our lives go through our eyes.

She takes a tentative step towards me and it's all it takes for me to go to her too. We both hug each other tightly, I can feel her body shaking between my arms and surely she feels mine too. Her tears soak my shoulder and neck, I cup her head and hold her close to me, stroking her now short, brunette hair.

We both cry, we whisper apologies and forgiveness. I take her face in my hands and she does the same with mine, we look each other in the eyes, both hiccupping.

I kiss her

I kiss her with all the love that I couldn't give her in 5 years, I kiss her with 5 years of loneliness, frustration, emptiness, regrets, _endless love_. She corresponds me, kissing me softly and letting out soft whimpers at the same time. How do we do it? I don't know, but in this single kiss we spill those five years that were taken away from our hands.

"Never, never, never have I stopped loving you". I say, laying my forehead against hers.

"And I never stopped thinking about you, I see you every day in my children, in _our_ children". She answers me, whimpering and then catching my lips between hers, this time more hurried, more urgent.

" _Mommy?_ " Again, the little boy's voice interrupts us. We both jolt apart and look at each other embarrassed... Here goes the journey...

* * *

 _ **Poor little Henry, he had to witness his parents fighting and making out in the span of minutes! He will be left**_ ** _traumatized hahaha!_**

 ** _What do you think will happen next to our family?_**

 ** _Do you think Teddy will forget the past and open completely to Owen?_**

 ** _How do you think the children will react to Owen?_**

 ** _Will Owen move to Germany?_**


	11. Chapter 11

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **Hi there, I'm back!**_ ** _I've been crazy busy but here I bring you a new chapter._**

 _ **It's a very, very long chapter, almost 6k words, I thought about splitting it in two but since it's been a long without updating and probably I won't do it again until my summer break I decided to leave it as it was, so get comfortable and enjoy!**_

 _ **let me know your thoughts and what do you think will happen now ;)**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 11**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

I wake up with a cold sensation all over my body, I open my eyes and I realize that I've fallen asleep on the sofa in the living room and outside is snowing. I hear the voices of Henry, Allison and Conrad in the kitchen; they're making breakfast. I look at my wristwatch, it's almost noon.

 _"Uncle Conrad, is that man Mom's boyfriend?"_ I hear Allison asking Conrad.

Last night was... interesting. Intense, hundreds of emotions flew through the walls of this house, from anger and frustration, to forgiveness and love, forgetfulness is what may never come. I don't know if Owen and I will be able to forget everything we had to go through because of a lie. I tried to understand that girl's reasons to have lied, I really tried, I tried to forgive her, but I can't, even the knowledge that she already lies 3 meters underground doesn't help me to do it, it doesn't matter if she is alive or dead, the past is the past and we can't change it, still I can't forgive her.

But now all we can do is look to the future and that's what Owen and I decided to do last night, slowly, for the children, but together.

 _"He was giving mommy a kiss in the mouth."_ I hear Henry adding. _"Couples kiss each other in the mouth."_

 _"Well... I don't know, kiddos. You'll have to ask Mom about that."_ Conrad answers, clearly distressed.

"You're talking about me?" I ask, sitting up to save Conrad from an uncomfortable situation.

"MOMMY!" My kids run to me and throw themselves into my arms. I hug them tightly and kiss their heads. Their lives are about to change and they still don't know it, they are about to meet their father, I'm so scared and excited at the same time. Henry already had 3 different encounters with him and Allison saw not the best of him. I'm afraid they'll reject him, but I know Owen will know how to win their hearts.

"My babies, I love you so much."

"Mommy, uncle Conrad and we are preparing everything for New Year's dinner." Allison says, enthusiastically.

"Really? And what do you have prepared?"

"Nothing". Henry answers with a shrug and I laugh.

"Nothing?!"

"Hey!" Conrad exclaims defensively. "I was waiting for you to wake up, for now I've a list of a few things!"

"Mommy... Will that man come tonight?" Henry asks me.

Conrad and I share a knowing look. I sigh.

"He... he... he will come."

"Why?!" Allison complains.

"He will come because he's a person that I want you to meet."

"He's your boyfriend?" Henry asks me, in a low voice.

"No, he's not my boyfriend, but he's someone very special and I want you to meet him, okay?"

Henry nods and Allison rolls her eyes.

"Ok, kiddos!" Conrad says to catch the kids' attention. "Why don't you go to change to go buy everything for tonight?"

"YES!" They shout in unison and run to their respective rooms.

"Actually Conrad... Why don't you go alone? I've to talk to the kids."

"Oh, right" Conrad exclaims knowingly and sits next to me on the sofa. "But, are you going to tell me now what happened last night? How is it that you kissed him?!" He asks me in a gossiping tone, I roll my eyes trying to contain the smile.

"Nothing happened! And it was more complex than just a kiss... Conrad... he was telling the truth, all this was the just a lie." Tears start to pool in my eyes. He looks at me sympathetically and places his hand on my thigh. "I don't know how we'll continue after this, I don't know how the children are going to take it, I don't know if there could be anything between us, nothing prepared me for this moment. For me he was the past, a past I didn't want to remember, a past I hated but I loved at the same time... and now, I realize that all that hatred and resentment was based on a lie and makes me feel so bad, Conrad, he tried to find me dozens of times, but I blocked all communication with him, I changed my phone number, my e-mail... and now... I love him, Conrad, maybe I never stopped loving him, but I don't know how to continue now."

"Oh, honey... right now it doesn't matter what you should've done or what you did, right now what matters is what you're are going to do. You can't cry for the past, remember what happened the last time you did it, now what you both have to do is look to the future, you have two children, you can't slow down now."

"I know! It's just... it's scary, you know? I've to talk to the children about him, introduce them to him, I've to talk to him about the children, I've to tell him about Henry's condition... it's too much!"

"It's too much, but think that now you'll have him too, it might sound terrifying, but it's not, the kids will have a father and maybe you and Owen will have a chance in love."

I smile sweetly, Conrad always has the right words. He has always been my lifesaver from the moment I met him, always carrying me, just as Allison did in her time, sometimes I think she was who put him on my way, to carry me in her absence. "You're right".

He smiles at me and hugs me tightly. "Now tell me, did you bang him against the wall?"

I can't help laugh out loud. "Conrad! Can you take this seriously?!"

"I do! But honey, we know you _need_ it. Tell me you didn't think it, come on, lie to me and tell me you didn't."

"You are unbearable!" I scold him laughing.

"Come on, come on!"

"I-I-I ... I did it, ok? happy?"

He laughs. "I knew it! I've to say in person he's more attractive than in photographs... Is he good?"

I smile mischievously at him. "We made twins from one night... you guess".

"Theodora Altman! Your dirty girl... I like it tho!"

"How long do you think it would be prudent to wait for... you know?"

"Oh darling, with that man if I were you, I'd be between his sheets already."

"I'm serious! I don't want to seem too desperate but I don't want to seem like I don't feel anything for him either!"

He looks at me squinting. "The last time you hocked up as soon as you opened that door after years without seeing each other... Just go for it! Stop thinking about the past, make it up for the lost time."

I don't have time to answer when the children come running back to the living room.

"We're ready, uncle Conrad!" Allison exclaims cheerfully.

"Can we go for ice cream?!" Henry asks

"Ice cream? Isn't all the snow out there enough?!" Conrad laughs slightly, Henry shows him a huge smile. "Kiddos, I'm afraid we'll have to go shopping other day." Their little faces fall.

"Why?!" They ask.

"I've something important to do". Conrad answers, not giving away the real reason.

"But the three of us will go for cake and hot chocolate. What do you say?!" I intervene and the children smile again.

I take a shower and I dress in record time, I take the children's coats and mine and together we go to Sander's Café. I'm so anxious about how I'll start the conversation. It's something huge. It's their father and although they never asked about him and Conrad is an incredible father figure, I want them to know their blood-father, we all deserve it, it wasn't anyone's fault.

We order delicious pastries and hot chocolate, the children are happy and play with each other. I look at them; I wonder what their lives would've been like if Owen had been there since the first day. Would Henry have the same problems with social adaptation? Would Allison be so bold and protective of us? Would we live here in Germany? Owen and I would be married? Would we have more children? Those and more questions that are not worth doing anymore, as Conrad said, I can't change the past, but I can change the future and I want a future with my family, my children and Owen.

"Children, look at me!" I say to get their attention. "I've something very important to tell you." They leave food and games and look at me with expectant eyes. I take them by the hand and they hold hands too. They know that I'll say something important. "Remember how I've always told you that lies are very bad, isn't it?"

"Yes, mommy!" They answer in unison.

"Well..." I sigh. "A few years ago, there was a man, a man that I loved very, very much, and he loved me too, we still have _big_ feelings for each other, we went through many things together, he was my best friend, he _is_ my best friend and he… we, on a very, very special night we made you two and—"

"Our father". Allison interrupts me. "You're talking about our father, right?"

I look at her swallowing the lump in my throat. "Yes, baby, I'm talking about your father."

"Is that man?" Henry asks a little scared and I give them a little hand squeeze.

"Listen to me, babies. Yes, that man is your father." I can't explain the feeling when I see their faces in amazement. "His name is Owen, Owen Hunt and—"

"But he left us!" Allison says, clearly upset.

"No, no honey, listen to me—"

"He was shouting at you, Mommy." Henry adds.

"I said listen to me, okay?!" I say, sounding harsher than I expected, but they shut up and look at me warily. "Owen, your father... he didn't leave us, he didn't know that you were born until that day he saw us at the airport. And do you know why?" They shake their heads. "Because of a lie." They open their eyes wide.

"He told you a lie?" Henry asks.

"No, it was another person, and that person lied to me and told me that dad didn't love me, but it wasn't true, dad loved me and still loves me, but I believed that lie and I was very sad and I didn't tell dad about you two."

"And why did you believe that person and not him?" Allison asks me and leaves me speechless. She is right. Why did I believe in someone else? Why didn't I call again? Why didn't I try again, and again, and again to talk to him? Again the questions about the past are pointless.

"But... Why was he shouting at you?" Henry asks me.

"Because of the lie... I shouted at him too and told him a lot of ugly things, but then dad and I talked, we talked for a long, long time and we told each other many things and cleared everything. Dad and I were very sad, and angry, but at the same time very happy because finally after many years we learned the truth."

"Will he live with us now?" Allison asks, cautiously.

"I don't know, we still have many, many things to talk about, but... what we want first is for you to meet him. Would you like to meet him?" They share a look and then they look at me and shrug. "If you don't want or want to wait a little longer I'll tell him and he'll understand. We just want you to be happy."

"He's going to scream again?" Henry asks, frowning.

"No baby, he's not going to scream, but he's probably going to cry... he already loves you so much and really wants to meet you."

"Ok mommy, I want to meet him." Henry answers, but Allison remains silent, thoughtful.

"Allison? What do you say, love?" She just shrugs again. I feel that with Allison it won't be as easy as with Henry, but I trust that Owen will know how to get to her.

"Can he come to dinner tonight?" Henry asks, with a shy smile. "Do you think he likes legos and puzzles?" I can't help but laugh.

"I'm sure he'll love legos and puzzles, my love."

Allison still doesn't say anything, she plays with her fork crumbling her piece of cake, scattering it all over the plate.

"Sweetie". I say, taking her little hand. "If you don't want he won't come home tonight."

"No!" Henry exclaims. "I want him to come, please Allison, say yes!" Allison smiles almost forcefully and nods.

 _ **OWEN**_

The minutes and hours pass painfully slowly, after I left Teddy's house, almost at 4 in the morning I went to find a hotel, but I couldn't sleep at all. Everything that had happened only the previous day was still playing in my head. The airport, see Teddy after years, the children, realizing they're my children, fly to Germany, get to Teddy's house, our first fight, then our kiss, that kiss that left me breathless, and the hours that we spent talking after that.

 _"What will we do now?" Teddy asked, with panic in her voice._

 _"We'll figure it out with time. We have a long way to go, but now I'm here and I won't go anywhere, I'll stay here with you, with our children."_

 _"I can't believe it... I can't believe we live in a lie. I can't believe that I didn't trust you even knowing you... I'll never forgive myself."_

 _"We both made mistakes."_

 _"I love you so much Owen, I never, never stopped loving you."_

 _"Me neither... deep down the only thing that kept me alive was to think that one day maybe I would see you again, it was as if my heart knew it, as if it knew that in fact I would see you again"._

 _"And now I'll never let you go." Teddy told me to then kiss me deeply._

 _"I want us to be a family." I said whispering against her soft lips that I missed so much._

 _"Me too, but first I want the children to know you."_

 _"I want them to know me too... Teddy, I love them, even though I've only seen them a couple of times and I already love them with all my heart and I will do everything possible to earn their love."_

 _"I'm sure they'll love you... Henry, well, I told you about him, he's shy, but he will love you, I can almost swear it... and Allison... Allison is a bit difficult, but I've faith she'll love you in time."_

 _"I still can't believe you named them Allison and Henry."_

 _She gave me a look of disbelief. "What did you expect? To name them Owen and Amelia?" She responded defensively. I laughed lightly and gave her a quick kiss on the lips._

 _"Of course I didn't... I love those names and I know how much they mean to you."_

 _"Come tonight to dinner... we'll have a New Year's dinner, only the children, Conrad, a friend and I"._

 _"Really?"_

 _"Yes, it can be a good opportunity for you to meet the children and Conrad. It would mean the world to me that you two get along. So, you come?"_

 _I just kissed her on the lips._

I walk from one side of the room to the other. I went to buy some clothes since my luggage still didn't arrive in Frankfurt, I was fully dressed, combed and perfumed to go to Teddy's house... only that there were still 3 hours left for the time she told me I should be there. I debate whether to go now or not, I can go under the excuse of helping with dinner, but I don't want to impose my presence on my time especially if we are doing everything at the children's time. I risk sending a text to Teddy.

" _What are you doing? I'm very anxious, I can't wait to see them. Is it imprudent if I go to your house now?"_

Teddy take a little to answer, but when she does, it's no problem, in fact they need an extra set of hands in the kitchen. Without thinking twice, I take my coat and leave the hotel. On the way I buy a bottle of wine for dinner and some cookies for the children.

When I get home Teddy opens the door, receiving me with a smile. Inside Conrad and another man seem busy in the kitchen and the kids are nowhere to be seen.

"Hey." Teddy greets me, sweetly.

"Hey." We both remain silent, looking at each other shyly. "I brought this for dinner and this for the kids." I say by giving her the bottle of wine and the bag of cookies to break the ice.

"Thank you! The kids will love the cookies! They love cookies from this place. But come on, come on, we can use an extra set of hands in the kitchen." I come in timidly, heading to the kitchen.

"Hey, Owen!" Conrad greets me.

"Hey." I greet him back with a tense smile.

"Come, I want you to meet someone, he's Jacob Schmidt. Jacob, he's Owen... Teddy's friend."

"Actually, Jacob." Teddy interferes. "He is the twins' father." She adds, standing next to me.

"Oh, then you are Owen!" Jacob exclaims and glances at Teddy and Conrad. Apparently I'm famous among them and I don't doubt it, only that I feel that I'm famous not for the right reasons. Teddy notices my tension and puts her hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry, they already know everything."

"Yes, Owen, don't worry!" Conrad says. "We're not going to flay you as a New Year ritual, you can rest easy." Then he takes a drink of his glass of white wine and goes back to the stove to check on the stew he was working on when I arrived.

"Wine?" Jacob offers me.

"Please". I answer and sit down on a stool by the kitchen island and Teddy sits next to me. Flashbacks of _this_ island come to my mind, Teddy sitting on it, I between her legs, a chill runs down my back.

"Where are the children?" I ask Teddy.

"Asleep, it's time for their nap, besides they're still jetlagged."

"Oh" I answer, a little disappointed.

"They'll be awake soon, don't worry. Also, I already told them about you."

I just smile nervously at her.

We settle into a nice talk. Conrad asks me a hundred questions, he seems like a good guy and although at first I felt jealous of him, as soon as I saw him give a quick kiss to Jacob on the lips I understood everything. Teddy gave me a mischievous smile, she knew I was jealous of Conrad, now I know my jealousy had no foundations.

We keep talking, I learn that Conrad and Teddy have known each other for years, since she came to live here in Germany, he's head of plastic surgery at the Regional Medical Center and the kids call him _Uncle Conrad_. Jacob is an engineer, works for a very important German automotive brand, he has been with Conrad for 2 years, loves the twins and they're always playing pranks on him.

"Picture this. I came to a meeting, a dozen of the most important people in the automotive plant were there, I open my briefcase and an insane amount of confetti comes out of it!" Jacob tells us laughing.

"What?!" I exclaim, laughing hysterically. "Why?! Who did—?!"

"Allison!" Teddy, Conrad and Jacob respond in unison.

"Allison put all that confetti in my briefcase! When? I don't know. But I'll never forget the face of all those people!"

"That girl is a serious case." Conrad says, with a warning tone.

I look at Teddy with longing eyes, I want to _see_ the children. She smiles at me and rests her head on my shoulder.

About an hour later we hear noises in the next room, apparently the children are awake. My blood freezes and I turn to look at Teddy with despair. The moment has come.

"You know what? I think we'll go for more cheese and champagne." Conrad says, clearly to leave us alone, we've enough cheese and champagne for the whole night.

"Yeah, I think that too." Jacob answers. They both take their coats and leave the house, leaving Teddy and me alone to talk to the children.

"Don't be afraid". Teddy places her hand on my cheek. "It may seem scary and maybe it'll be hard for them to warm to you, but you'll see that with time it'll be as if you had been there since the first days". She tells me sweetly and I can see in her eyes that tears could fall at any moment, then she turns around and gets lost behind a door that I think is the room of one of the twins.

I can hear how they talk and laugh, then I don't hear anything. I start to feel suffocated, I take a few seconds to calm down, I take a mint to my mouth, I don't want children to smell the alcohol of wine on my breath, I look in the mirror, I look exhausted, I practice my smile, I fix my hair.

"Owen." Teddy's voice surprises me. She brings the children holding hands, Henry looks at me timidly but not Allison, she looks at me defiantly and a chill runs down my back.

I take some tentative steps towards them, Teddy kneels in the middle of them, getting to their level and I do the same, about 3 meters away from them.

"Kids... he... he's Owen and..." Teddy is doing everything possible to contain the tears. "He... he is your dad."

"Hi." Henry tells me timidly lying his head on Teddy's shoulder.

"Hi, little guy... Mommy told me that you love legos and puzzles, I love puzzles too, do you think one day we can put one together?"

"Yeah." He answers me with a shy smile, biting his lips and adjusting his huge glasses on the bridge of his small nose.

"Allison? You won't say anything?" Teddy asks Allison, kissing her on the head and combing her long hair.

"Can I go back to my room?" My heart breaks into a thousand pieces.

"Allison, say hello—"

"No, Teddy, it's okay!" I hurry to say.

She sighs and I can see the sadness and disappointment in her eyes too. "Okay, you can go back to your room."

"Where are uncle Conrad and Jacob?" Allison asks.

"They will be here soon."

The girl just nods and turns around and goes to her room closing the door behind her.

"She is like that". Little Henry says, shrugging innocently.

"Baby, do you think you can give Daddy a hug?" Teddy asks the boy.

He looks at me tentatively and after a few seconds he just shakes his head looking at the floor.

"It's okay, it's ok champ. Look, I brought cookies!" I say to distract him, going to the kitchen island to grab the bag of cookies I had bought for him and Allison. "Do you want some?"

He nods. Although it makes me immensely sad that Henry didn't want to give me a hug I fully understand him, first of all I'm practically a stranger and our previous encounters were not the best, and Teddy briefly told me about his problems to function properly in society and his anxiety issues so that he is talking to me is a huge step so at the same time it makes me feel proud of him considering how difficult it is for him to meet new people, especially if said _new people_ is his father.

Henry takes the bag of cookies and takes only two. "I'll keep the rest for Allison, uncle Conrad and Jacob." He says and then closes the bag of cookies and gives it to Teddy.

"You can have them all." I tell him, encouraging him to take more. It's two dozens of cookies!

"No, they're Allison's favorites, she'll want a lot."

"You can have all you want, baby." Teddy says. Henry takes another three cookies with a playful smile. "Why don't you show dad your new set of Legos?"

"YES!" Exclaims the little boy and I can't help but smile widely. "It's Woody's Roundup, uncle Conrad bought it from me at Disneyland!"

"Really?!" I say with enthusiasm. "Then bring it on, let's build that set."

The little boy runs to the room in front of Allison's

"I can't believe it". Teddy says in a trembling voice. "He doesn't look like him, he had never been this open to new people."

I take her in my arms and hug her tightly. "And it will be better every time, you'll see, I'll help him, I'll help you, we're a family now."

"I'm still sad for Allison, I swear to you that she is not like that, much, but—"

"Teddy, it's okay, I understand. I'm sad too, but I understand, it must be very shocking for her, let's just give her time."

"I love you, Owen." She says and just as we are about to kiss Henry comes out with his box of Legos and his Sheriff Woody doll.

He looks at us timidly, but this time he doesn't look scared. "Here it is". He says, with a smile.

"Ok, let's do it!" I answer.

We sit on the floor of the living room to start putting together the set of legos on the coffee table. Shortly after Conrad and Jacob come back, Teddy tells Conrad about what happened with Allison and he goes to her room, after a few minutes they come out, but she's still distant with me and throws me glances that, although they are not fulminant, it is clear that she's analyzing me, I smile at her every time our eyes meet and she looks away.

Teddy gives me encouraging smiles, Henry shows himself more and more at ease and open towards me, although he still doesn't tell me _dad_ , I don't expect him to do it either, he gives me occasional taps on my arms to point out things to me. Allison looks at us sitting on the sofa, pretending to watch a movie on the iPad when she actually looks at Henry and me all the time.

"That piece doesn't go there." Allison says, out of the blue.

I knew that, I also knew that she was watching me closely, I only did it to see if I caused any reaction in her and I clearly did it. "Really? Here it says—"

"It's the wrong piece."

"Can you point me where it goes?" I ask, tentatively. She gets up from the sofa, but doesn't come too close.

"It's that piece." She points with her index finger at one of the pieces.

"Right! Thanks! Do you want to play with us?"

She shrugs. Teddy, Conrad and Jacob look at us from the kitchen, in silence and expectant.

"Allison doesn't like legos." Henry points out.

"I do like them! Tell him I like them, mommy!"

"You never want to play legos with me!" Henry argues back.

"Who doesn't like legos?" I intervene. "I love legos."

"I love legos too." Conrad adds from the kitchen.

"Me too". Jacob says.

Then Teddy. "Same!"

"We all love legos, legos are love." I say and offer Allison a piece "Do you want to join us?"

She looks at me shyly, but takes the piece, however, she kneels in front of the table on the opposite side of me. Henry directs everything, he tells us where and how to put the pieces, Allison and I follow him, minutes later I manage to make them laugh. I can see that Teddy looks at us from the kitchen. She brings a tray with the cookies I had brought and cups of hot chocolate. Allison devours a lot of the cookies in minutes.

Then Teddy, Conrad and Jacob join us in the living room, we all talk while I keep building the set of legos with the children and they rest comfortably on the sofas with their glasses of red wine. The night is pleasant, then we go to the dining room, Henry insists that I sit next to him. The dinner is delicious and the conversation is the same, we all laugh, it's perfect. Everything seems out of a fantasy, until barely 36 hours ago I was completely devastated and now I was here with all these people, with Teddy, _my_ Teddy and _our_ children and I had also made two new friends, Conrad and Jacob. I wouldn't have imagined it in my wildest dreams.

The kids can't stay awake until midnight. By 10:00 pm they are already sound asleep. Before going to sleep they said goodbye to me with a little wave and a smile, there was still no hug or _dad_ , but at least Allison no longer looked at me as if she wanted to kill me and Henry seemed to be having the time of his life with me. The rest will come later.

Teddy, Conrad, Jacob and I go back to the living room and talk until midnight. We count down, Conrad and Jacob kiss when the clock strikes 12:00am, Teddy and I look at each other like shy teenagers until we can't keep it anymore, we hug and kiss long and slowly until we are forced to take a breath.

"Happy New Year." I whisper, millimeters away from her face.

"Happy New Year." She answers me, with a huge smile.

The four of us keep talking until late at night, at almost 4:00am Conrad and Jacob say goodbye, it was a beautiful soiree. Teddy and I are relatively alone at home, since children sleep in their rooms.

"So... it was a great night." Teddy says.

"It was".

We both remain silent, nervous, no one knows what to do or what the next movement should be. Teddy moves from side to side nervously, scratching the back of her neck, biting her lips. I take a few seconds to admire her properly. She wears a beautiful and tight emerald green dress that goes down to the middle of her thighs, a pronounced V-neck, her brunette hair perfectly stylized, I still find it strange to see her with short brown hair, but she looks stunning.

"Where are you staying?" She asks me.

"At the Schlo... something, I don't even know how to pronounce it." I answer, chuckling.

"At the Schlosshotel Landstuhl". She answers back with her fluid german.

"Yes, that one!"

"It's a beautiful place."

"Yeah." Silence again. Outside it has started to snow, I've flashbacks of that night, the windows begin to fog, the pink blanket is still in the same place, the fire in the chimney dances slowly, there is a bottle of champagne in the kitchen island...

"A drink before you leave?" Teddy asks me to break the silence.

"Yeah, that'd be nice!"

She serves two glasses of champagne, gives me one and goes to sit on the couch next to the window.

"I really learned to love this place." She says, looking at the snow thoughtfully. "After the twins were born I didn't want to leave this place, too many memories to leave them behind."

I sit next to her. "And we will fill this place with more memories, good memories."

She sighs and looks at me with watery eyes. "Tell me I'm not dreaming, that tomorrow I'm not going to wake up and all this will be gone."

"I should ask you the same... all this seems like a dream, but it's not, this is real, I'm here." I take her hand in mine. She places her glass in the window, takes mine and places it there too. Then she takes my face in her hands and kisses me gently, with the softness of a first kiss. I bring her closer to me, I can feel her body shiver under my touch.

She cuts the kiss and looks me in the eyes, I can see the world in her eyes, I can read all her questions just by looking her in the eyes, they're the same questions that I've been asking myself since I came here. I kiss her back, but this time more passionately, she clings to the collar of my shirt and I to her hips. Without breaking the kiss, she gets up and pulls me up with her.

Slowly she leads us to her room, once there we stop. I look around, everything is exactly the same, the bed, the big headboard, the sofa next to the bed, the huge closet, her pile of books in the corner, the other couch by the window. But now there're pictures on the wall and on her nightstands, pictures of the twins and her.

"Sleep with me." She asks me in a sigh. " _Be_ with me."

She asks me in a way that I can't say no, I've dreamed of this for years, I've dreamed of this since I left this place almost five years ago.

I don't say anything I just kiss her. She jumps on me wrapping her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck, I take her by the butt and crash her against the door causing her to moan softly.

Then I take her to the bed and place her there softly, hovering her whole body, running her long, soft legs with my hands. I get rid of my pants and my shirt, then I get rid of her nude pumps and I help her sit up to unzip her dress, she stands up and drops it to the floor. We are both just in underwear, looking at each other with all the repressed lust of the last years.

"I... I haven't been with anyone since that night." She tells me, so, so softly, as if she were ashamed, but the one ashamed is me. I would like to say that I didn't either, but I was with Amelia a few times and now I regret it so much, I should've looked for Teddy instead of wasting my time with her.

We make love as I've never done it in my life, a thousand times better than that first time we were together, a thousand times more gentle, a thousand times more intimate, a thousand times more lovingly. Everything is smooth and unhurried. Our bodies move as if we had done this just that morning and not five years ago. We fit perfectly. Our words meaningful. Our heartbeats in synchrony. We come at the same time. I beg again for her forgiveness. She cries in my arms. We tell we love each other. We fall deeply asleep in each other's arms…

* * *

 _ **And now? Happily ever after?**_


	12. Chapter 12

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **I know, I know that I said I was busy, but after publishing the last chapter I felt truly inspired and I didn't want to forget everything that came to my mind, so all Sunday I was writing.**_

 _ **Thank you very much to all the people who reviewed last chapter, really, you don't know how much you motivate me,**_ ** _and for the hater who left its lovely review (which will soon be eliminated because it doesn't deserve a place in my fic) you made me laugh so much, poor you, your life must be very miserable to attack authors behind the anonymity. H_** _ **aters took me down once, but not twice, so good luck with that!**_

 _ **Anyway, this is for you, the people who love this. I hope you like it, luckily my days are getting less and less busy, the next week are finals, but I only have 3 theoretical tests and the rest are projects that luckily I already have done, then pack to go back home all summer, yey!**_

 _ **A/N:**_ ** _Oh, and before I forget, this is like a kind of transition chapter, to set the end of the story, yes, we're coming to the end :(_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 12**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

"What are you looking at?" I ask Owen, when I wake up and look at him, watching me intently. He smiles broadly and gives me a kiss on the forehead.

"How beautiful you are. How different you look."

I comb my bangs with my fingers. "Don't you like my new look?"

"No, I love it! You look so different yet so beautiful, even if you were bald you'd look beautiful."

"Liar!" I chuckle and climb on top of him, crossing my arms over his broad chest and looking him in the eyes with all the love in the world. I sigh and lay my head there. He caresses my naked back and we both remain in a comfortable silence.

"I want to move here." Owen says. I raise my head and look at him surprised. "I mean, not here with you, if you don't want to, but here to Germany, here to Landstuhl."

I smile sadly. "And what about Megan and your mom?"

He sighs. "I'll talk to them, I'm not leaving them behind, Teddy. I'm just living my life. I love them, but I love you too and I love our children, the three of you are my priority now, they will understand."

I lay my head back on his chest wiping a small tear that escaped from my eyes.

"Owen." I say, after a moment of silence. "I've something very important to tell you." I sit on the bed facing him and cover my naked body with the sheet. He sits leaning on the headboard looking me attentive and confused.

"Is all good?"

I try to find the right words to speak. "No, Owen, not all is good... I... I've to talk to you about Henry".

"What about him?"

"Owen, he... he's not well, our baby is not well." I say, in a trembling voice. I watch him swallow.

"What's wrong with him?"

I sit next to him and I curl up on his side, he brings me closer with his projective arm. "He and Allison were born at 30 weeks, that was hard... painful... lonely... and deeply, deeply sad. Allison was born there." I point to the bathroom. "All alone I brought her to the world on the bathroom floor and I almost bled to death giving birth to Henry."

"WHAT?! Teddy, why—?

"Just let me finish, okay? Long short story they spent months in the NICU, especially Henry, he had each and every one of the health problems a preemie could have. Four times in the OR… two times for brain surgery, one for heart and one for bowels. Anyway, soon before being released he was diagnosed with deafness."

"It was _really_ hard, a newborn deaf... just when I thought that nothing could be worse the pediatrician realized of his vision problem, he was given glasses when he was only a year old... I remember saying " _I can with this_ ", until I realized that... his prescription changed every few months... since then we've seen dozens of doctors and none seems to find the reason for his accelerated loss of vision... the last doctor we visited." My voice shakes when I remember what that doctor told me. I clear my throat in an attempt to steady my voice. "He told us that there is not much hope, that it's almost 100% sure that Henry will lose his sight completely in a few years." I can't contain it anymore and I burst into tears.

Owen hugs me tightly and I can hear him sobbing too.

"I don't know what else to do!". I whimper. "I don't know who else to turn to... I don't know how to tell my boy that he will go blind, he... he knows sign language, should I teach him braille now? I feel so lost, Owen. He is a baby, and he has already gone through so many things!"

"I'm so, so sorry." Owen cries. "Sorry for not being here, I'm sorry. We will look for more opinions, I swear, we'll go wherever we have to go to see the best doctors, we won't give up, we are in this together, Teddy, together we will help our little boy."

"And on top of that are his anxiety problems. Sometimes I feel it's hereditary, that damn silent demon of depression and anxiety. I've thought about getting him a service dog, but I don't know, enough bullying he gets at school because of his glasses and his hearing aid devices."

"I know an excellent neuro-ophthalmologist surgeon in Switzerland, I'll call him and we'll take our boy and if he can't find the root of his problem we will look for another, and another, and another opinion. This time I won't try just once, I won't give up."

I hug him more tightly by the torso. "It means the world to me that you're here."

"And I will always be here."

We remain enjoying each other's company, skin to skin. Occasional touches, gentle caresses, soft kisses, deep intimacy.

Then, someone knocks at my room's door.

 _Dammit_!

" _Mommy, can I come in?_ " Allison asks, from the other side of the door.

"Dammit, dammit!" I cry between clenched teeth getting out of bed quickly, covering myself with the sheet. "They can't see you here!"

"Why?" Owen asks me, confused and without moving from the bed.

"Because we're taking this slowly, at least with the children! They can't see you naked in my bed! You've to leave now!"

"How will I get out of here without them noticing?"

"I'll distract them and you'll leave the house in silence."

" _Mommy, wake up!_ " Now it's Henry.

" _Mommy, can we snuggle in bed with you? It's snowing._ " Allison adds.

"They want to snuggle in bed." Owen says, settling down on the bed and looking at me with a quirked eyebrow.

"Owen, I mean it! Maybe they're already more open to you, but think about what it'll be like for them to see you here in my bed so soon."

Owen seems to understand my reasons. It's not that I don't want them to see him or know that he sleeps in the same bed as me, but first I want them to warm up to him and let them know that we're together before they see him in my bed.

"Ok you are right. I'm sorry, I just... I want to spend as much time as possible with you, that's all."

"And you will, but not in my bed." He raises an eyebrow, looking me questioningly. I roll my eyes smirking. "I mean, they seeing you in my bed for now. But you can spend all the time you want in my bed at night." I say, sitting next to him, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

"Sneak in and out of your bed... sounds like fun."

"It'll only be a few weeks, while they get used to your presence and to see us together."

He cups my face. "I love the sound of _together_."

" _MOMMY_!" The children shout, out of my room.

"Ok, time to go!" I say to Owen giving him a quick kiss. I put on my pajamas and leave the room taking the children to Allison's room and cuddling in bed with them while Owen leaves the house.

"Mommy, when's Owen going to come again?" Henry asks me.

"I… don't know darling, maybe today, maybe tomorrow."

"Will he move in here with us? He's your boyfriend already?" Allison asks.

"Well, well, well, so many questions... he won't move with us for now, maybe in the future, I don't know, what do you think?"

"If he's your boyfriend then he has to live here." Henry points and I can't help but laugh.

"You like daddy a lot, isn't it?" I ask him.

"He's funny, but he doesn't know German or sign language, but I can teach him!"

"Of course you can teach him, my love." I answer, kissing his little head.

"Can he come today?" Allison asks me.

"Would you like it?" I ask, cautiously. She shrugs. "Because if you want I can invite him to breakfast."

"Can he take us for more cookies?" I laugh.

"I'm sure daddy would love to take you for more cookies." Allison smiles shyly.

I call Owen to invite him to breakfast, it doesn't take more than half hour when he's home. He makes waffles for the children and I see him interact with them.

"And what is your job?" Allison asks and I see how he hesitates to answer. I look at him questioningly and he clears his throat.

"Well, I... I used to be a doctor, a trauma surgeon, but I haven't worked for a long time."

I'm perplex, I didn't know Owen was unemployed, he notices the confusion on my face and evades my gaze.

"Mommy can give you a job." Henry says. "She's the boss of an entire hospital, it is very, very big, uncle Conrad works there too."

Owen laughs nervously. "Yeah, that would be nice."

"If you don't have a house, you can move in with us." Allison says and Owen looks taken aback. We didn't expect it to be precisely Allison the one suggesting it, much less so soon.

"Yes!" Henry exclaims. "You can have my room if you want."

"No, silly." Allison intervenes. "Mommies and daddies have to sleep together."

Owen and I tried to contain the laughter, especially considering that we slept together and our talk about our sleeping arrangements.

"Babies". I say. "Would you like Daddy to live with us?"

They share a long look, as if they were saying everything through their eyes, perhaps the famous twins' telepathy, then they look at Owen and then at me. Henry whispers something to Allison in her ear, then Allison to him. Owen and I looked at each other with expectant eyes.

"Yes, we would like it!" They exclaim at the same time.

Owen smiles broadly, I can see that he wants to cry, he even wipes a tear quickly. I can see that he wants to hug them, I can almost swear that he wants to lift them and twirl them in the air, but he keeps respecting their personal space and leaving each and every one of the physical approaches to them.

We finish breakfast and the four of us together go to the hotel where Owen is staying to pick up the few of his belongings. Then we go to the bakery to buy the cookies the children love so much. We go back home and spend the rest of the day chatting by the fireplace, the children cuddled on my side and Owen in front of us. The twins ask us dozens of questions, how we met, where we met, they ask him things like his favorite food, his favorite color, his favorite superhero and they get _very_ excited when they learn that they have a grandmother, an aunt, an uncle and a cousin.

"Really?!" Henry exclaims. "Do we have a grandma?!"

"Yes, you have a grandma!"

"Can we meet her?!" Allison asks, enthusiastically.

"Of course you can meet her! In a few days I'll go to Seattle, where your grandma lives, to tell her about you."

"Will you leave?!" Henry asks, worriedly.

"It'll only be a few days, baby." I say, to reassure him. "Daddy has to go to his old house to talk to grandma Evelyn and auntie Megan, but he'll be back soon."

"And I will never leave again." Owen adds and the children smile.

After dinner and giving them their bath I put the children down to sleep, they still don't feel comfortable with Owen taking them to bed, but we both understand it.

"So... welcome home!" I tell Owen with a smile when I leave Henry's room after putting him down to sleep.

Owen is in the living room, drinking coffee and looking intently at the fireplace. I go and I sit next to him. He brings me to him and gives me a kiss on the head.

"This day was incredible, although I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with so many good things happening so soon, one after another!" He chuckles.

"We still have many things ahead, but what we have achieved in such short time is more than I expected."

"I know, and I can't believe it... by the way, I spoke with Dr. Brandenberg, the neuro-ophthalmologist I told you about, I told him about Henry and he's willing to see us in 4 weeks. I'll go to Seattle and as soon as I return we'll go to Switzerland... we will know what happens to our boy, Teddy, I swear."

I don't say anything, I just kiss him on the chest and hug him tightly.

"Come with me to Seattle, I want the children to meet my mother and Megan."

I stir in my seat and I sit straight, freeing myself from his arms. "I…. I don't know if it's a good idea, Owen." He looks at me, frowning. "I mean, obviously I want the children to meet your mother and Megan and that they know them, but not like this, you know?"

"Not like this, how?"

"When everything is still so new, yes, I know that things are moving fast, but we both know that we still have a lot to work on, when Evelin sees the children I want it to be when they have finally accepted you completely, when they tell you _dad_ and they hug you and kiss you... not the way things are now. Do you understand me?"

He takes me by the hand and looks me in the eyes. "Of course I understand, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you think I'm moving too fast it's just that... actually things are moving really fast and I'm loving every second of it and I just want to shout to the world that I love you and that I love our kids, I... I'll hit the brakes, you're right."

"Thank you." I tell him softly and I return to cuddle in his arms. "So... How is it that you don't work anymore? Since when?" Owen shifts in his seat. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Is not that. I... I've been fighting depression for a couple of years now." I don't say anything but I understand him entirely. "Some days are better than others, these days have been good tho, the best in years maybe. I don't know if the following days will be good, but I've been thinking about looking for help, for you, for our kids."

"I understand... I lived in depression too, even to this day I've bad and good days."

"That silent demon." Owen says in a sigh.

"That silent demon." I repeat. "It'll get better, you'll see."

"I know."

We both remain silent and after a moment Owen starts to caress my side gently and goes all the way down to my thighs drawing soft circles there. I look at him mischievously and kiss him on the lips. He takes me by the waist and sits me on his legs straddling him, then he putting his hands inside my sweater.

"Owen, wait!" I cut the kiss and take his hands, pulling them off my sweater.

"What? What's wrong?!" Owen asks me, confused.

"Let's wait at least an hour." The confusion on his face grows.

"Why?!"

"There is at least an 80% chance that one of the children will wake up at any time, asking me to tuck them back up, take them to the bathroom, which is next to their rooms, one of them have a nightmare or simply because they want to sleep with me."

He chuckles "What? Does this always happen?!"

I laugh. "Not always-always, but at least two or three times a week, it used to be every day, but little by little we've been making progress with that." He looks at me and huffs, I laugh again. "Oh honey, you're in for quite the ride... the twins are... they're a different challenge every day, I'm not going to deny it, it's hard, tiring, frustrating and terrifying at times, especially when Henry has a crisis... but I wouldn't change it for nothing in the world... their little smiles, their shrieking laughs, every milestone makes up for all the fear and frustration, I love each and every second next to the twins."

"I already love them too, now we will share all that hardness, fatigue, frustration and fear. Between the two will be easier, we will turn all that into love."

"I know."

"I love you."

"I love you more."

" _Mommy?_ " Allison calls from the hallway, walking shyly towards us. I get off Owen's legs immediately.

"See?" I say to Owen, mockingly.

"Mommy, I'm cold."

I get up, go to Allison and I lift her in my arms, she leans her little head on my shoulder and wraps her legs around my waist. "Let's go find you more blankets, baby."

"Good night again!" She says to Owen before going to her room.

"Good night, baby, sleep tight. I love you". Allison smiles shyly.

 _ **OWEN**_

It's the evening before my trip to Seattle, I've spent two weeks here and it's been the best weeks of my life. The speed with which things are moving scares me and at the same time excites me. Children are becoming more comfortable with my presence. They look for my company, and finally, finally they trusted me enough to let me hug them, the first time I cried, I scared them a little but immediately I explained them that I cried because I was immensely happy. I hugged them tightly, I didn't want to let them go, I wanted to hold them in my arms forever.

Teddy was right, the twins are a different challenge every day. In just two weeks I experienced tantrums, resistances to go to bed, picky eater moments, the famous nocturnal episodes, Allison's defiant character, and the most frightening of all, Henry's crises... it was terrifying, all I had seen of him was a soft and sweet boy; seeing him scream, cry and say incoherencies left me heartbroken. Teddy handled everything as if it were the most normal thing in the world, but in her eyes I could see how broken she was.

" _It's okay baby, everything is fine, everything will be fine_ ". Teddy whispered to Henry sobbing softly as she hugged him tightly and rocked him, Allison hugged her at the same time. Tears ran slowly down her cheeks, it was a depressing image. Without thinking I joined her and I took the three of them in my arms, we stayed that way until Henry's crisis stopped and the three of them fell deeply asleep in my arms.

It all started because Henry didn't want to go back to school, it started as a tantrum, but I thought it was normal. What child wants to go back to school after weeks of vacation? Until Teddy told me the true depth of everything, my son is bullied in school and the worst thing is that the school authorities don't do anything about it. After seeing my little boy suffer like that, I went to the school the next day to talk to the professors, even threatening to sue if they didn't do something about it. Teddy was no longer alone in this, together we would handle each and every challenge, even though the biggest one was still missing, the children finally calling me _dad_.

"No!" Henry exclaims, laughing. "Not like that! You have to swing your pinky finger to not shake it! Like this." He shows me the proper way to do " _J"_ in American sign language.

We sit cross-legged facing each other in the couch by the window, Teddy makes dinner and while Henry teaches me the American sign language alphabet Allison plays outside with the snow while I keep an eye on her.

"Like this?" I ask, imitating exactly the movement he had previously made.

"Yes! Now the _K_ " He says, raising his index and middle finger in a kind of peace sign.

"Since when does he know sign language?" I ask Teddy, amazed at how well Henry handles it.

"Not long ago, maybe a year and a half or less. But he learned it pretty fast."

"Now I'm learning the German one." Henry says, with a hint of pride.

"You are so smart, my sweet boy." I say, ruffling his blond hair playfully making him laugh. Then we hear Allison shriek outside, she is playing alone, throwing snow in the air and playing to catch it. I notice how Henry looks at her longingly.

"Do you want to go out and play?" I suggest. He doesn't say anything, he looks down, playing with his socks.

"Your sister would love if you go and play with her." Teddy says from the kitchen, encouraging him.

"I'm not good at playing with snow." He says, softly. I take him and I bring him to me cuddling him in my arms.

"You don't have to be good at playing with snow, you just have to do what you want. You can throw it, kick it, we can make a snowman or snow angels, I'll tell you how." Silence. "Or we can cuddle up here by the window and see the snow, Mommy can join us." I wink at Teddy and she smiles blushing.

He mutters something that I can't understand. "What do you say?"

"I want to go out." He repeats, in a low voice. "But Mommy can come too?"

"I'm making dinner, baby. But as soon as I finish, I join you all for a while. What do you say?"

"Ok, mommy."

"Okay". I say. "Then come on, let's join Allison!"

We both put on our coats, gloves, scarves and snow boots. I blow Teddy a kiss before leaving and we join Allison in the yard.

"Hey princess, would you mind two more players?" I say when we appear in the yard and Allison looks at us surprised.

"No, come! I'm making snow rain!"

"That sounds fun! Come on, little guy." I take Henry's hand and join Allison.

Allison jumps and throws snow in the air, Henry is a little shy at first, kicks the snow or tries to catch snowflakes. Then Allison takes a snowball and throws it right at my chest making Henry laugh hysterically.

"Oh, you want to play?" I say, challenging. I take a small snowball and I throw it to Allison who immediately throws me one back too, then we both throw a ball at Henry that makes him fall on his butt.

He looks at us, frowning with a pout, as if he were about to whimper. "We're playing, Henry!" Allison says to keep him from crying, goes to his side and gives him a hand to help him get up, then gives him a huge snowball and whispers something in his ear, then Henry throws the ball right in my face, both children laugh out loud.

"Oh, you'll pay for this, little monsters!" I say in a fake wicked voice and run after them all over the yard. They run holding hands laughing and shrieking.

"No, no, no!" They cry.

I catch them and scoop them up attacking them with kisses. "No, no, no, _daddy_ no!" They scream and I freeze.

 _Daddy_

I put them back on their feet and I kneel in the snow in front of them. Teddy looks at us crying from the window.

"Are you angry that we told you _daddy_?" Henry asks me, innocently.

"What?! No, no, no, my love, not at all... I'm happy that you finally did it. I had dreamed of that moment since the first time I met you."

"Then, can we tell you daddy?" Allison asks.

"Of course you can, my loves!"

"Yey!" They shriek and throw themselves into my arms, they tackle me down in the snow making me laugh and they lean on my chest.

"Daddy." Allison says. "I love you."

"I love you more, my little girl."

"No, I love you more, Daddy!" Henry exclaims.

Then Allison. "No, I love you more!"

" _I love you all more_." Teddy joins us and sits next to me in the snow.

"Mommy, can I go to Seattle tomorrow with daddy?" Henry asks Teddy, going to her and sitting on her lap. I sit up too and Allison cuddles with me.

"We already talked about that, my love." Teddy says, brushing a few snowflakes from Henry's blond hair. "Daddy will only go for a few days and he'll be back, then all of us will go to visit grandma Evelyn, auntie Megan, uncle Nathan and your cousin Farouk."

"But first we will go to Switzerland!" Allison points. "We've to go and heal my brother!"

"That's right, princess, we will go to Switzerland to heal your brother."

Teddy and I share a longing look. We've all our hopes placed on this trip to Switzerland. As doctors we know that the possibilities of knowing for sure what happens with Henry are very low, especially considering that he has already been seen by dozens of doctors and none of them can find the root of his problem, but something inside of me tells me that this time everything will be different. I don't know if it's me being optimistic, if it's the rush of immense happiness in which I find myself that makes me see everything with a beautiful filter of positivism, but at least that positivism is infecting Teddy who until recently had practically lost hope, now, although she knows that we probably won't have the answers we want to hear, she's more open and optimistic and that at the same time she's cheering up Henry who at first didn't want to see more doctors and go through more medical tests.

But now we all want that trip, we all need that trip, I'm sure it will change our lives in more than one way...

* * *

 _ **How do you think their lives will change?**_

 _ **Do you think Henry can be cured?**_

 _ **What more surprises do you think are coming for this family?**_


	13. Chapter 13

**_***ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE***_**

 ** _New chapter!_**

 ** _LOOOOOONG chapter!_**

 ** _Maybe not the best chapter but I hope you like it._**

 ** _I swear to God I try to keep chapters as short as possible, but I can't! Much less if I feel inspired and motivated. And I must say that this has been one of my favorite fics to write._**

 _ **Finally this Monday I go home and I'll be there until August, so I hope I have a lot of time and inspiration to write.**_

 _ **A/N:**_ ** _I don't know anything about medicine so all written here is for the sake of fiction._**

* * *

 ** _CHAPTER 13_**

* * *

 _ **OWEN**_

"So? You aren't going to say anything?" My mother and Megan look at me speechless. "I know it's a lot to process, but—"

"THAT BITCH!" Megan shouts when she recovers from the shock, getting up from the sofa and pacing in front of us. "I swear I'd kill her if I had her in front of me, Owen! Damn junkie liar, I hope she's burning in hell!"

"MEGAN!" My mother scolds her. "Don't express yourself like that of a dead girl!"

"Listen to what Owen is saying, mom! That ' _girl'_ ruined the lives of not only my brother and Teddy, she also ruined my nephew and niece's life, his children, your grandchildren. How is it that your blood isn't boiling?!"

"I'm upset too, Megan! But cursing is not the answer. That girl had a problem, maybe she didn't know the magnitude of what she was doing, she didn't know Teddy was pregnant!"

"Teddy is furious too." I say. "But we both agree that there is nothing we can change, now the most important thing is to make up for lost time and for that same reason..." I don't know how to tell my mother and Megan that I'll move to Germany. I know they will be sad, but I hope they take it in the best way. "Mom, Megan... I've decided to move to Germany to be with Teddy and our children."

Again they are left speechless. Megan takes seat next to my mother and both share a sad look.

"I don't want you to think that I'm leaving you behind, you know that I love you with all my heart... but there're Teddy and my children too... Teddy's job is very important and for the children Landstuhl is their home, I can't ask them to move just like that. Please, don't hate me for that—"

"Honey, I would never hate you for living your life." My interrupts me. "I won't deny that it'll make me very sad to have you on the other side of the world, but... I can't imagine what all this has been for you, for Teddy, for the children, it's only fair that you want to be with them."

"I swear I'll come visit you as much as I can. The children are so excited to meet you."

Megan gets up and goes to sit next to, me hugging me. "Mom's right, your place is with Teddy and your children, we'll be fine, besides... Do we tell him?" Megan asks my mother and she shrugs, smiling. "Nathan, Farouk and I will move back to Seattle."

"Really?!"

"Yes... Nathan received an offer he can't refuse from the Seattle Presbyterian so we'll be back."

"Well, now you're really making it harder for me to leave."

Megan takes my hand. "None of that! Go, Owen. Be happy, go be with the love of your life, with your children. Mom and I will be fine."

"But tell us, when will I meet my grandchildren?! Why didn't Teddy come with you?". My mother asks, really excited to meet the twins.

I had only told them the first part of the whole story. I still don't tell them how it was the children's reception and about Henry's health problems and how we will have to go to Switzerland in a couple of weeks.

"Teddy didn't want to come—"

"WHAT?!" Megan exclaims, shocked.

"No, no, no! It's not what you think! I mean, she did want to come, she wants to see you again so much, it's just that..." I sigh exasperated.

"Owen, is everything okay?" My mother asks me, worried.

"You have to know sooner or later, so... It's because of my son, Henry. He..." I sigh again. It's so hard to talk about everything my sweet child has suffered. It breaks my heart every time I think about everything that he has gone through. "He and Allison were born prematurely, 30 weeks. They both had severe health problems, especially Henry, he... he's deaf, mom." I say in a shaking voice. "And... there is something that we still don't know what it is but it's affecting his sight. In a couple of weeks, we'll go to Switzerland to visit a surgeon friend of mine, we expect he can tell us the reason behind his accelerated loss of vision. If not, it is likely that he will lose his sight."

"Oh, my God, Owen!" My mother exclaims, covering her mouth with her hand.

"But... What have the doctors told Teddy?" Megan asks me.

"Not much, Teddy has taken him with ophthalmologists after ophthalmologists and no one seems to find the reason. This trip to Switzerland is practically our last hope. Teddy made it clear that if we don't get answers she won't subject Henry to further medical tests."

"As a mother I can imagine how she feels." My mother says, solemnly.

"Even if it wasn't' my fault there are times when I can't help but feel guilty. I should've been there with Teddy during her pregnancy, taking care of her, making sure she and the babies were okay... and on top of that he suffers from an anxiety disorder that causes him horrible crises, that was also one of the reasons why Teddy didn't want to come. Henry doesn't deal well with changes in his routine."

"One more reason to hate that bitch!" Megan says through clenched teeth.

"But he has made great progress! He's starting to try new things, he didn't like much to leave the house and now we go out to play in the yard at his request!"

"They needed their father." My mother points out.

"But tell us, how are they? Did you bring pictures, videos?" Megan asks excitedly and I smile so wide that my lips almost reach my ears.

"They are amazing, Teddy warned me that they are a challenge and I didn't believe her... bad idea." We all laugh. "Allison... she looks so, so much like you!" I tell Megan

"What?! You're kidding!" Megan exclaims excitedly.

"I am not! It's like watching a mini version of you, or seeing you when you were a girl. She has this long, wavy red hair, only her eyes are Teddy's, but her nose, her lips, the shape of her face is all you. Her cheeks covered in small freckles that make her look so innocent when in reality she is a hurricane."

"She always has an opinion for everything and is always questioning everything. It seems that she has an endless battery inside her because she's always so full of energy. She... she took my role, at her 4 years she has been the one who was always taking care of Teddy and Henry, I had it difficult with her at first, but deep down she is the sweetest girl, she just protects the people she loves."

"A protector, just like you." Says my mother, with tears in her eyes. "She sounds like a charm."

"She is."

"And Henry?" Megan asks. "Ok, wait, let me guess. He is the sweetest and softest cupcake in the world."

I laugh. "He is! He is very shy and fears of strangers, but once he gets to know you he is the sweetest. He loves legos and puzzles and knows sign language."

"Wow!" My mother exclaims. "I still can't believe it, everything sounds like a dream!"

"Believe me, I feel like I've lived in a dream all these days. There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night fearing to be back here in Seattle... but I just have to reach out my hand and feel Teddy next to me to know that none of that is a dream."

"I'm so happy for you, Eeyore." Megan tells me, ruffling my hair.

"By the way, I've a video for you two. I recorded it before I came. It's from the twins."

I take out my cell phone and I show them the video.

 _"Hi, Granny and Auntie Megan!"_ They shout in the video. _"We already want to meet you! We hope you can come soon. Goodbye!"_

"Oh, my God, Owen!" My mother says, amazed. "It's as if you and Megan were reborn! They are identical to you two!"

"I want to meet them!" Megan shrieks. "Hug them and kiss those beautiful little faces!"

 _ **TEDDY**_

"He won't come back." Henry says, sadly, not wanting to eat his diner.

"No baby! That's not true, daddy will come back!" I comfort him.

"He said he would come in a week and it's been two weeks and he hasn't come back yet. He said lies!" Allison complains.

"Hey, listen to me my loves. Daddy will come back, you spoke with him yesterday, you know that the delay is not because he wants. Daddy has a lot of things to fix before moving here permanently."

"But I miss him!" Henry whimpers.

Owen's departure, though temporary, was a low blow for the children, especially for Henry. He had become _very_ attached to him in just a few days, so his absence was a big setback for him and all the progress he had made in his social development. On the other hand, Allison, after the week that Owen had said would be away, began to ask more and more about him, sometimes even thinking that he had lied to us and would never return.

Just the night before we made a video call with Owen to reassure the children. The poor man was very busy fixing his immigration status to live in Germany, looking for buyers for his house and all the furniture, as well as his car, among other things that he needed to leave in order before moving in with us. Since then I don't know anything about him, he doesn't receive my messages and his phone sends me directly to voicemail.

"I miss daddy too, my love. But he will be back, we have to go to Switzerland in 3 days."

"I don't want to go to Switzerland if daddy isn't here!" Henry says with a pout crossing his arms over his chest.

"What is dad doing in America? Why is it taking so long?" Allison asks me, always wanting to know everything that happens around her.

"Daddy is doing adult things, like selling his old house. Also saying goodbye to some friends, Grandma Evelin, Aunt Megan, but he will be here soon, darling, I promise."

Then someone knocks on the door.

"I'm going." Allison offers to open the door. "Sure it's Uncle Conrad."

I'm still busy with diner and with Henry when I hear Allison scream.

 _"DADDY!"_

Owen is back unexpectedly-not so unexpectedly. Allison throws herself at him and he takes her in his arms, throwing her lightly to the air, then pressing her tightly against his chest, kissing her repeatedly, making her laugh. Immediately Henry runs to him and he does the same thing he did with Allison.

"Owen, what are you doing here?!"

"I live here, isn't it?"

"I mean, yes, but... Why didn't you tell me you were coming back?!"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"You ruined _our_ surprise!" Allison says, standing in front of him, frowning. "We were going to surprise you at the airport!"

Owen crouches in front of her. "I'm so sorry, baby. But I couldn't wait to come back."

"And now you will never, never leave?" Henry asks.

"Never, never, champion."

Then Owen gets up to my level, grabs me by the waist and brings me to him kissing me on the lips. "I missed you so much." He whispers.

I circle my arms around his neck. "Me too. Welcome home."

Finally I can say that we live like a _real_ family, Owen is here and will never leave. What I dreamed from the moment when he told me " _There is nothing standing in our way_ ", everything that I imagined from that moment and that until a few weeks ago seemed impossible. He and I living together, sleeping together, the children, the laughter, the games... finally it was reality, finally after so much suffering.

That night the children ask him to tuck them for sleep. Owen happily accepts and tells them everything about his trip to Seattle, he tells them about their grandmother and their aunt.

"They fell soundly asleep." Owen says, coming to _our_ room when I'm leaving the bathroom after taking a shower. He drops heavily on the bed and I lie next to him covered only with my bathrobe.

"You'll be happy to know that they don't get up in the middle of the night anymore, they haven't done it in the last two weeks, not once... so..." I give him a mischievous smile. "Although if you're tired..." I try to get out of bed, but he grabs me by the waist and in a soft movement he pins me against the mattress under his big body, making me laugh.

"Do you know who else hasn't _done_ it in the last two weeks?" He asks me seductively and without giving me time to answer he catches my lips with his. That night he makes love to me as never, compensating me for those two weeks and at the same time for those 5 years that we were not together.

 _ **OWEN**_

Finally the day comes to go to Switzerland. I would be lying if I say I'm not nervous, I'm more than that, I'm on the verge of a meltdown, but now it's my turn to be strong for my family, I was the one who proposed this, I can't show them that I'm nervous or afraid that everything It will be a huge disappointment.

The night before I can't sleep and I know that Teddy doesn't sleep either, she tosses and turns in bed, I can hear her sighing, swallowing and clearing her throat on more than one occasion.

I turn to her and take her in my arms. "I know you're not asleep." I whisper against the soft skin of her nape.

"I can't sleep, I'm so anxious... and don't tell me everything will be fine and that you're not nervous. I can see that you are scared too, you don't have to be the strong one for all of us."

"I wasn't going to, at least not to you, I know that I can't lie to you... I'm terrified, Teddy. I've so much hope on this trip... but at least I've to be strong for the children, we have to be strong for the children."

She turns in my arms looking me in the face. Her eyes, gray in the darkness of the room that is only illuminated by the dim moonlight. "What if our baby has no cure? How will we tell him he will go blind?" Teddy asks me, in the saddest voice.

I don't have words to answer her. I just hold her tight against my chest and kiss her head. Then we hear a knock on the door. It opens slowly and Allison appears in the threshold. We both prop up on our elbows and I turn on the bedside lamp.

"Mommy, daddy, can I sleep with you?"

"Of course, my angel!" I say. She runs to the bed and curls up in the middle of Teddy and me.

"Daddy, is your friend a good surgeon?" Allison asks me.

"He's very, very good, honey. Why?"

"Is he going to fix my brother?"

Teddy and I share a melancholy look.

"We still don't know, baby. He has to see your brother first to know."

"My brother isn't going to die, is he?" My heart turns upside down and Teddy lets out a choked sigh, holding back the tears.

I hug my two girls. "Your brother is not going to die, my love." I tell her with hope and at the same time giving hope to myself.

Shortly after another knock on the door, obviously it's Henry. He climbs on bed with us and huddles next to his sister. He doesn't say anything, just hugs his Sheriff Woody doll and sinks his face into Teddy's chest. Then he makes signs with his hands, saying something to Teddy, her eyes fill with tears and she hugs him. "We will always, always, always love you, my baby boy." Teddy answers, then helps him remove his glasses, his hearing aid devices and lulls him against her chest kissing his head repeatedly.

We all remain cuddled in bed, in silence, waiting to sleep. Minutes later Teddy and Henry fall deeply asleep, but not Allison and me.

"Do you know what Henry told mommy?" Allison whispers so as not to wake Henry and Teddy.

"No, baby, I don't know."

"He asked her if we still would love him if he goes blind."

A big knot forms in my throat and I'm not able answer back. I bring Allison to me and I hold her tightly. Minutes later we both fall asleep.

The next morning is chaotic. It's only 11 in the morning when we arrive in Zurich, Switzerland, but among the suitcases, the children, Henry and his panic to big crowds, train stations, airports and the immense anxiety, the four of us are completely exhausted. Dr. Brandenberg is expecting us tomorrow morning, Teddy and I had thought about giving a little tour through the city to distract us, but the spirits are so down that once we get to the hotel the first thing we do is snuggle together again in the bed, just like the night before, and sleep for a couple of hours.

When we woke up it was almost 4 in the afternoon, being a little more recovered, at least physically, the children, Teddy and I go for a walk around the city. I carry Henry in my arms because he refuses to walk, the city is big and dynamic. The change of routine, the people and knowing that tomorrow he will see another doctor have him with his anxiety to the limit. Although according to Teddy he has improved a lot since their trip to Orlando.

Around 7pm we go back to the hotel, Teddy and I give a bath to the children and after a quick shower we go back to bed with them, again the 4 together. Tomorrow is the big day.

 _ **TEDDY**_

The next morning the four of us go to the hospital where Dr. Brandenberg is waiting for us. We are welcomed by a team of doctors who from the first contact make me feel full of hope, although deep down I know that there is nothing 100% said.

Allison is sent to a playroom/nursery and Owen, Henry and I go to Dr. Brandenberg's office. We go to the little living room in the office and take a seat. Henry snuggles into Owen's lap, sinking his head into his neck, but as soon as he notices Woody's pin that the doctor has in his white coat, he waves at me, pointing at the pin and smiling, I smile back.

"Hunt, what a pleasure to see you." Dr. Brandenberg greets Owen.

"Likewise. She's Teddy Altman, my girlfriend and Henry's mom."

"Nice to meet you Teddy, Owen told me a lot about you and your little one. You must be Henry, isn't it, little guy?" Henry just nods. "I'm Dr. Matthew Brandenberg and I hope I can help you, but first of all I need to know if you want."

Owen told Dr. Brandenberg about Henry and his socializing issues, especially with new people so the fact that before all he asks Henry for approval for any procedure makes me feel warm inside. None of the previous doctors had cared for my boy, they only did tests, stuck needles in his soft skin and gave him medication without first asking him how he felt.

Henry runs his eyes from Owen, to the doctor, to me. I give him an encouragement smile and Owen kisses his head. He nods.

"Ok, very good, Mr. Henry, let's start! Oh, by the way, this is for you!" He removes the pin from his white coat and gives it to Henry, at first he hesitates to take it, but when he does, he does so with a huge smile and immediately places it on his shirt. "Someone told me it's your favorite character, guess what, it's mine, too!" Henry smiles at him and it makes me want to cry.

The four start to discuss what the procedure will be.

"I've been studying Henry's medical record closely in recent weeks and I must say that I'm amazed, we have a little warrior here with us."

Owen and I smiled proudly at each other.

"My boy is the bravest." I say.

"I don't doubt it!" The doctor says. "Well, I also studied all the tests that have been done in the last couple of years, it seems that there isn't much else to do, he has had all the tests done, but luckily for you, I don't give up, I'm very stubborn so I won't rest until I know what is happening here with this little guy."

We keep discussing Henry's medical history and the plans that Dr. Brandenberg has to try to find the root of his problem. On the way we to find several faults that the previous doctors committed and that at the time, because I was so overwhelmed, I didn't notice them. It would seem like tiny mistakes, but correcting them _might_ change everything.

"Well, basically that's my plan." Dr. Brandenberg tells Owen and me. We look at each other.

"And when can you start with the studies and the tests?" Owen asks.

"Today if you want. I've cleaned my schedule completely for the next week just for you."

"Really?!" I ask in a choked voice.

"Really." The doctor answers with a warm smile. "Owen is my friend, it's the least I can do for him, for you and this little guy."

"Thank you very much, you have no idea what this means to me." I thank him. "Not only this, but all the attention we've had since we came to this hospital."

"Oh, that credit goes to Dr. Yang."

 _What?!_

"W-what-what did you say? Dr. Yang? As in Cristina Yang?"

"Yes, the same! She instructed all the staff to give Dr. Hunt and his family the best treatment during their stay here. This hospital is owned by the Klausman Institute."

"Owen?" I try to get an explanation, but he avoids my gaze and shifts in his seat, distracting himself with Henry who is now asleep in his lap, fixing his clothes and hair.

I'm shocked, I don't know what to say. Listening about Cristina caused me a series of mixed feelings. On the one hand, it made me feel somewhat insecure. She was Owen's wife, for God's sake! And on top of that my relationship with Owen is still so new and fragile, I know I'm being silly, Owen has shown me since the first day that we meet again how much he loves me and the children, but I can't help it, I think it's a natural reaction.

On the other hand, there is the fact that she knew that Owen would come with his _family_ , and even then she asked her staff to give us the best treatment. She knew that Owen would come with a new woman, with his children. I don't know if she knew that said woman is me, but even so, she wanted the best for us. For that part I can only feel gratitude for her, whoever is good with my children has won my heart immediately.

"I'm sorry, did I say something I shouldn't?" The doctor asks, noticing our reaction.

"No, it's just... it's been a long time since we knew anything about Dr. Yang, that's all." I answer. "But, can we continue with Henry's case?"

"Of course. Well, as I said, today we can start with everything, you just have to sign all the paperwork, we admit Henry and we start."

"Ok, let's do it." I say, determined to know what happens with my sweet boy.

And so it all began. Henry is admitted. The poor thing was so scared at first, but Owen and I didn't separate a second from him, once they started doing the tests we took turns between him and Allison who was still in the playroom. She was scared too, asking thousands of questions about what they were doing to their brother and what would happen next.

And so we spent the day, Dr. Brandenberg would give us the tests' results until the next day. The night was equally long and tiring, neither Owen nor I could sleep, we spent the night talking.

"Why didn't you tell me Cristina was the owner of the hospital?" I ask Owen.

"I was afraid. Dr. Brandenberg is an excellent surgeon, the best in his field, but I was afraid that if I told you who the hospital belonged to you would refuse to bring Henry."

"Should I have reasons to refuse?" Owen immediately catches the true meaning of my question.

"No! You shouldn't, at all!"

"Does she know who your family is?"

"Yes." I don't say anything else. I don't have the energy to keep talking about anything else. I just want the sun to come out so I can go back to the hospital to know the results of the tests. "I love you, Teddy. Today more than ever, I love our children. The three of you are the only persons that matter to me in life, nobody else."

Without saying a word, I get up from the sofa and join the bed where Henry and Allison sleep.

Hours later we are finally back in Dr. Brandenberg's office. This time both Henry and Allison were left at the playroom. Owen and I are in complete silence waiting for the doctor. Only our breaths can be heard.

"Teddy, Owen. Sorry for the delay, but I was collecting the latest results from Henry's tests." Dr. Brandenberg greets us as soon as he enters the office.

"And?" I ask nervously. "Did you manage to find something?"

He takes his seat on the other side of the desk. For a few seconds he's silent, places his hands on the desk and looks at their intertwined fingers biting his lips. "Matthew, what's going on?" Owen asks him.

Then he looks at us with a warm smile and my heart stops, I don't know how to take it. He clears his throat. "I think I have good news."

Indeed, I think my heart has stopped. Owen and I hold hands, I don't know if it's him, or me, or both, but we're shaking.

"My team of doctors spent all night collecting the results and this morning I analyzed them and... I don't know how to say it, but, there is a good chance we can stop Henry's vision problem."

I let out a shaking sigh and immediately the tears begin to stream down my cheeks. "What did you find? How?!" I ask, desperate to know.

"What did you find that others didn't?!" Owen adds.

"In his old MRIs and I noticed something strange, however, there were no notes about that in his file. Yesterday we did a new MRI and I put special attention in that area and well... Henry has a tumor in the occipital lobe."

"What?!" Owen and I exclaim at the same time.

"It's a tiny tumor, almost the size of a bean, but we don't know since when it has been putting pressure on his optic nerves."

"Oh, my God!" I'm feeling so many things at once. I'm upset, how is it possible that doctors didn't see it before? I'm happy to finally have an answer. I'm scared to think what's next, surely surgery.

"And now what? I guess you'll have to do surgery to remove it." Owen points.

"That's right, due the location of the tumor is a surgery that requires a lot of precision, so it takes some time, but it's a type of surgery that I've done more times than I can remember. Your little sheriff will be fine." Dr. Brandenberg replies

Owen and I hug and cry for a moment. "When can you perform the surgery?" Owen asks, I can't say anything anymore, I'm just sobbing.

"Tomorrow."

Owen and I return to the playroom for the children, we are ecstatic. As soon as they see us they run to hug us.

"What did the doctor say, Mommy?" Allison asks, excited. "Will he cure my brother?"

"Yes, baby. The doctor is going to cure your brother." Owen replies.

"REALLY?!" Henry exclaims, with his huge blue eyes wide open.

"Really, my love." I hug him and kiss him on the head. "But they'll have to admit you today, tomorrow will be a big day."

"I don't care mommy. I want them to fix me. Because, that's being brave, right? And I want to be brave."

"Oh baby. You have been the bravest since you were born."

We all join in a tight hug. Again the following hours are chaotic. We are all nervous, but this time another kind of nervousness. Now we have faith, faith and certainty that everything will turn out well.

The next morning at first hour Henry is taken to the OR, Dr. Brandenberg allows Owen and me to go with him to say goodbye, we left once the anesthesia has taken effect. We wait, the nurses come and go with updates. 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours and finally Dr. Brandenberg leaves the OR. Immediately Owen and I go to him.

"Everything went as expected. Henry will be taken to his room in a couple of hours."

I throw myself into the arms of the doctor and cry on his shoulder thanking him again and again. Then Owen and I hug each other and stayed that way for several minutes, without saying a word, just crying, crying with happiness.

Hours later Henry is taken to his room, part of his golden curls have been shaved and he has a bandage around his head. His skin looks pale and he looks even smaller than he already is in the huge hospital bed. I check his heart monitor again and again, everything is in perfect order. He sleeps peacefully in bed and Allison in a crib that the staff brought us to the luxurious room they gave us, by Cristina's orders.

"A nurse brought you this." Owen says, coming to the room and handing me a white envelope.

"What is it?" I ask, confused.

"I don't know, but it's for you." And indeed, it's for me, it has my name written on the front. I open it

 _"Hi, Desert Storm Barbie!_

 _I hope my staff is treating you as you and your family deserve. I knew that everything went well with your son, he is a warrior, just like his mother. I'm glad to know you're happy, that you and Owen are happy, both deserve it._

 _With love, Cristina."_

I can't help but smile widely when reading her little note.

"Whose was it?" Owen asks me sitting next to me and wrapping his arm around me.

"Cristina."

He chuckles. "I can't believe everything she is doing for us."

"Me neither."

We both remain cuddled on the couch, watching our children sleep. If someone had told me a couple of months ago that all this was going to happen, I probably would have laughed or getting angry at the cruel joke.

Everything was so cold and gray a few weeks ago and now it's just joy and infinite possibilities. My boy is healthy all things considered, Allison is a happy girl. Owen and I are together and we love each other. What else could we need?

"Owen."

"Hmm?" He hums.

I shift in my place, looking at his face and take his hands in mine. "I'm pregnant."

* * *

 ** _She is pregnaaaaaaaant!_**

 ** _I know, many of you saw it coming/wanted it, and who am I to deny it to you all?_**

 _ **But hey, we still have 3 chapters left, just saying.**_

 _ **Don't forget to**_ ** _to leave a little review if_** ** _you liked_** ** _this chapter_** ** _or with your thoughts for the next chapter, we are coming to the end :(_**


	14. Chapter 14

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **As promised...**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

 _ **Reviews are always welcome :)**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 14**_

* * *

 _ **OWEN**_

 _"I… I am pregnant."_

My mind is working at full speed, I can't formulate a single sentence. I want to pinch myself, am I dreaming?

"WHAT?!" I shout.

"What?" She repeats, a little shocked by her own words.

"You-you- you said you are pregnant."

"What?! No, I didn't! I said I _think_."

"No, you said 'Owen, I am pregnant'" I repeat her words with a smile on my lips.

"I-I-I don't know, I mean, I think? Yes, that, I think I'm pregnant."

I get up from my seat and start pacing in front of her. Henry and Allison are still sound asleep. Teddy looks at me expectantly, biting her lips and frowning. Ok, she _thinks_ she is pregnant, that is, not yet confirmed. Calm down Hunt. I sit down next to her and take her hands. Her shaking hands.

"Ok, let's calm down." I tell her, but the huge smile on my lips betrays that I'm anything but calm. "You think they're pregnant?" She exhales shakily. "Ok, let's go outside."

I get up and take her hand, together we leave the room and sit on the sofas in the waiting lounge.

"Owen, I... I think I'm pregnant. I mean, I have all the symptoms. Headache, nausea, tiredness, my breasts are tender, I'm late… all the symptoms."

I want to cry and laugh at the same time. I want to hold her and twirl her in the air. I want to run through the corridors of the hospital screaming that I'll be father again. I want to go out to the streets of Zurich to shout to the people my happiness.

"I assume you still don't take a test." She shakes her head biting her lower lip. I release it from between her teeth with my thumb and I give her a soft kiss. _"Okay. Okay. Okay. What do we do now?"_ I ask myself.

"I think there's a pharmacy across the street, maybe it's still open."

"Yes! Let's go for a test then." I say.

We ask a nurse if she can keep an eye on the twins and Teddy and I go to the pharmacy for the test. We walk holding hands, our hands sweat and our bodies tremble. None says a single word.

Once back with the pregnancy test, Teddy goes to the bathroom and I wait outside. I look at my children still asleep, ignorant of what is happening around them. They don't know that they are about to become big siblings.

My heart beats fast, Teddy is taking too long. I give a soft knock on the door. "I'm coming!" She answers me. Minutes later she leaves the bathroom.

"We have to wait a few minutes." She informs me and takes a sit, letting out a trembling sigh. I sit next to her.

"Hey, this is good!" I say, softly.

"I know, I know... but... I can't help but think about the last time." Her voice shakes and the tears pools in her green eyes.

"Hey, Teddy, look at me!" I take her chin, forcing her to look at me. "This isn't like last time. This time _everything_ is different. This time we are together, without lies and we love each other. And if I'm not shouting through the corridors or the rooftops with happiness it's because I'm afraid that security will kick me out of the hospital."

She laughs softly and wipes away the tears with her hand. I bring her in my arms placing her head in my chest, holding her there with my hand while I stroke her soft brown hair.

"I think it's time." She says, after a few minutes. She gets up and goes to the bathroom for the test. She brings it wrapped in her hand

"And?!" I ask her, excited.

She sits next to me. Slowly she opens her hand showing the test and my heart not only stops, it also breaks. Negative.

Teddy bursts into tears and drops the test to the marble floor. I hug her again and comfort her. When I see her cry, I can't help but cry too. Our dream collapsed in an instant.

"I'm sorry!" She hiccups. I take her face in my hands.

"You have _nothing_ to apologize for. You hear me? These things happen. This was a negative, but we can try again, okay?"

"I really wanted to have another baby, another baby of yours." She cries softly.

"And we will. We'll have another baby."

"It's just... I don't understand, I've had all the symptoms."

"Maybe it was stress. You've been very stressed with everything about Henry. But now that he's fine we can look for that baby."

"Yes, I want that!"

"I want that too." I kiss her and then cuddle her in my arms and place her legs in my lap, as if she were a little girl. We both fell asleep that way.

 _ **TEDDY**_

After the fiasco with my supposed pregnancy, I put that on the back of my head and turn all my attention to Henry and his recovery. At the beginning it's very difficult, he complains constantly about the pain in his head incision, the medications keep him constantly groggy, he barely eats and when he isn't sleeping he is crying. At the same time Allison asks us for attention, maybe not with words, but with actions. Tantrums, constant tantrums. It's their birth and those months in the NICU all over again.

Luckily this time I've Owen and between the two of us we take turns with each one. While one stays in the hospital with Henry, the other takes Allison for a walk around the city. When I realize it's been two weeks since Henry's surgery and two weeks since my fiasco.

In hindsight, seeing how things have turned out and how difficult it has been Henry's recovery, I feel a little relieved that I'm not pregnant. I don't know if I could've dealt with all this. But at the same time I can't help feeling sad, I really wanted another baby with Owen, I really _want_ another baby with Owen.

He tried hard to dissimulate, but I know he was sad and disappointed too. I'm still disappointed in myself, what if I'm too old to have a baby? I'm 45, almost 46. It would be almost impossible to get pregnant without some fertility treatment. Owen said he was willing to do everything for us to have another baby, and I'm willing to do everything too, but it doesn't stop hurting, I don't know how long a treatment will take, stupidly I already counted on this " _pregnancy_ ", I had all the symptoms! I was late, breast tenderness, slight cramping, headache, nausea. Some of which I still have, but Owen is right, it's just stress. Stress that has only increased with Henry's recovery.

A week later we all go back home. The spirits have improved considerably. Henry is starting to be his old self again, the same Allison. We all are happy. We are family.

"Don't take me wrong, but I'm so grateful that all this is over." Owen sighs, letting himself fall on the bed after putting Henry and Allison down to sleep. I lay next to him and place my head on his chest.

"Me too. Finally, everything is over. What I'm not happy about is that tomorrow I've to go back to work. I'll miss my babies."

"I'll take care of them while I get a job."

"Work for me. The position is open."

"You will hate me, but…" He brings me closer to him and kiss the top of my head. "I'd like to spend a few more weeks with the twins before going back to work."

"It's not crazy. It's what you deserve."

I kiss him on the chest and then I hug him tighter as he runs his hand up and down my side, making me feel sleepy until minutes later we both fall deeply asleep.

 _ **OWEN**_

It's my first day at home alone with the twins, Teddy went back to work and Allison went to school; Henry still has a few more days off. At first I was scared, I had never been alone with them for so long, Teddy had always been there all the time.

I took care of making and giving them breakfast, getting Allison ready to drop her off to school and hours later pick her up. She didn't stop showing off to all the kids that I was her dad and that only made me feel so proud.

Then I decided to take them out for lunch, hours later we went back home to make dinner so that it would be ready when Teddy was home. However, there was no time for that.

Just when I was in the middle of making dinner, Conrad came to the house to tell me I had to go to the hospital, Teddy needed me, she was in the ER. I almost didn't have time to say goodbye to the children when I ran to the hospital.

I came to the hospital and I found her there, lying on a hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown while a nurse was taking her blood pressure.

"Teddy, what happened?!" I am truly worried. Teddy looks weak, but she still smiles. Classic Teddy to not worry me.

The nurse finishes taking her blood pressure, puts it down on her chart and leaves, closing the curtain of Teddy's cubicle.

"Honey, what happened? I was so scared when Conrad told me you were here!"

"It was nothing. Stress."

"Stress?"

"Yeah, stress. Oh, and..." She takes my hand and places it on her belly. "And a baby."

"You're kidding." I say, in a sigh of amazement.

"Blood tests don't give false negatives."

I look at her for a few seconds while our eyes fill with tears. Then we join in a tight hug. She was pregnant all this time.

"We are having a baby!" I exclaim, cupping her face soaked in tears.

"We are."

Again I swallow my cry of happiness since we are in the ER. I take Teddy again and I hug her, and I kiss her and I thank her. And we laugh, and we cry and laugh again.

"How far along are you? Have they already done an ultrasound? How do you feel? How's the baby?" I bombard her with questions making her laugh.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. A little blood pressure drop, that's all. According to my calculations I'm 6 or 7 weeks along, but it's not 100% sure yet, I still don't get an ultrasound, I want you to be there when I do that."

"Oh, my God!" I kiss her again. "I love you. I love you. I love you so much." I repeat again and again between kisses.

Later that night, we go back home with an appointment for the OB-GYN within 3 days. We are ecstatic. We can't stop kissing and touching us all the way home. A soft kiss on the hand, a caress on the nape, on the neck, a rub on her belly, on her thighs.

When we arrive the children are already asleep and Conrad is waiting impatiently for us. However, we decided not to tell him anything yet, we want it to be perfect when we tell our family and friends.

"How will we tell the twins? I'm afraid they will not take it well." Teddy expresses her concerns to me that same night while we both lie in bed before sleep.

"They will be trilled." I try to cheer her up.

"I don't know, Owen. Henry is still a little sensitive with everything that happened and Allison... well, you saw how she behaved those days in the hospital."

"Hey, love." I pull her towards me, our faces inches apart. "Allison's reaction was completely normal, she's a 4-year-old girl and she was stuck in a boring hospital room and Henry, he's the sweetest boy, I'm sure they'll both be very happy."

"I can't believe it, Owen. That day when I took the test and it came out negative my heart broke into a thousand pieces, I really wanted a baby of you."

"Well, we already had a baby."

She laughs softly and hides her face in the crock of my neck. Minutes later we both fall deeply asleep.

 _ **TEDDY**_

It's been two months since I found out I'm pregnant, I'm 15 weeks along and over the moon. We still don't tell the twins, or Conrad, or Megan or Evelyn. Only Owen and I know our little-big secret. We wanted to keep it that way for a lot of reasons, at least for now.

First because we wanted to enjoy the moment only between the two of us before everyone started with questions. Then, because we wanted to predict the twins' reaction, both Owen and I have thrown them some questions to know what they think about having a little sibling and both are more than happy with the idea, so I can breathe easy on that part. And finally, when I was 12 weeks I had painful cramps and some bleeding.

I feared the worst, when Owen and I arrived at the hospital I swore that I had already lost the baby, however, the doctors did everything to stop it and in the end they succeeded. I was confined to bed rest for at least a week. The excuse we gave our friends was a stomach infection, stupid perhaps, but in case of losing the baby I wouldn't have been able to stand their pity looks.

In the last ultrasound I had, at 14 weeks, the doctor gave us excellent news. Both, me and the baby are in perfect health, everything is going great. Luckily so far, without that scare, the pregnancy has been quite easy.

Owen has been more overprotective than ever. _Never_ in my life had I seen him so protective. Sometimes I find it adorable, and sometimes suffocating, but I still love it with all my heart. He cares because he loves me, he loves us and I love him too, more than ever.

Since by medical orders if I wanted to carry this pregnancy to term I'd have to lead a lifestyle as relaxed as possible, I had to stop working. I gave Owen my place as head of MedCom. The first days were weird for the both of us.

Owen from having years without working to be responsible of a whole hospital was tiring and difficult for him. But he got the hang of it in a couple of weeks. I on the other hand, after years of working non-stop to be at home with the twins as a kind of a housewife was also a bit difficult, but only in the aspect of adapting to a new routine, I still work from home on my clinic for refugees, in the rest I loved and I am loving every single second at home next to my babies and they are loving it equally.

I get up to make breakfast, have their lunch boxes ready, walk with them to school to go pick them up hours later. I spend the whole afternoon with them, helping them to do homework while I work too, or playing and at night, when Owen comes home we all have dinner, then we play for a little while or watch a movie and then we put the twins down for sleep. That's pretty much our new little familiar routine.

One night, Owen comes from Allison's room after tuck her in for sleep and walks to me with a soft smile while I wash the dishes from diner. "We have to start telling people, you're starting to show." He hugs me from behind, kisses my neck and introduces his warm hands inside my sweater and places them on my little bump rubbing it softly.

"Of course not! I can still hide it under my baggy clothes."

"The children are already noticing it."

I turn to him. "What?! How?!"

He takes me by the waist and kisses me on the forehead. "According to Allison, you're eating a lot of cookies, that's why you're a little bit chubbier."

I can't help but laugh loudly. "Oh, my God. We can't hide anything from them, isn't it?"

"That pair of kids are smarter than you and me."

"How about we tell them next week when we go to Frankfurt?"

"It seems perfect. It'll be an unforgettable weekend."

"I can't wait to see their little faces when we tell them they will have a little sibling."

"They will be over the moon. Just as I have been since we know it." Owen takes my face in his hands and kisses me passionately. I encircle my arms around his neck, he grabs me by the waist and sits me on the kitchen island. He gets rid of my sweater and starts kissing me everywhere.

"Room, now!" I order him moaning and he obeys.

It's the day of our little trip to Frankfurt; Owen, the twins, Conrad, Jacob and I are going to spend the weekend there. It will be the perfect occasion to tell them about the baby.

Owen was right, I'm starting to show, even with my baggy sweaters sometimes it's possible to notice the curvature of my increasingly growing baby bump.

 _"Teddy, Owen, come on! What are you doing in there? It's a family weekend."_ Conrad yells at me from the living room while I am in my room, trying to button my jeans that have decided are too small for my waistline.

"Try some leggings." Owen suggests.

I've lived in leggings and loose sweaters since I am a stay-at-home mom so I didn't realize before that my jeans are now too small for my condition. I look in the bottom of my drawers for the last pair of clean leggings I have left, I dress in record time and I put a black cape-coat on top.

We arrived in Frankfurt, we check-in at the hotel and go out to explore the city, which, although practically we already know by heart, Owen doesn't, so we take him to our favorite places.

The twins walk with Conrad and Jacob and Owen and I walk in each other's arms. His hand goes on more than one occasion to my belly and I slap him gently with a smile.

After walking all afternoon in the city we look for a nice and cozy restaurant for dinner. We are taken to a private area at Owen's request. Then the time has come.

"Oh, my God. I'm so hungry that I could eat everything on the menu!" Conrad exclaims when we are at the table.

"Me too. The road to here and the walk left me dead!" Jacob adds.

"I'm not tired!" Allison exclaims, as energetic as ever.

"I do". Henry says. "I'm hungry and I'm tired, daddy."

"Once you're done with diner you can sleep in my arms and I'll take you to the hotel." Owen answers and gives him a kiss on the head.

The rest of them keep looking at the menu for what to order for dinner when Owen comes close to me and whispers in my ear.

"You are not tired? How do you feel?"

"I'm fine. Tired and hungry, but good. I'm excited tho."

"Now?" Owen asks me raising an eyebrow. I shrug and smile. "Ok, as you wish."

"Family!" I say to get everyone's attention. "Owen and I have something very important to tell you."

"OH, MY GODDESS, YOU ARE GETTING MARRIED!" Conrad exclaims, clapping.

"No." Owen says. "Not yet." Then he gives me a kiss.

"It's something very important, beautiful, big and it will change our lives for everyone." I say.

"Are you leaving Landstuhl?" Jacob asks us and we shake our heads.

"Then what is it?!" The twins exclaim at the same time.

Owen and I share a look of complicity and he takes my hand.

"WE ARE HAVING A BABY!" We say, in unison.

Their faces are priceless. Everyone is speechless and in shock. Seconds later everyone explodes in cries of joy. The twins get up from their chairs and they go to hug me.

"We are having a sibling!"

"Yes, my loves, you will be big siblings!" I tell them by kissing their heads and trying not to cry at their gushing response.

"WHAT?! How...?" Conrad is still amazed.

"Do you want to know how?" Owen asks, jokingly.

"I mean, I know how! But why didn't you say anything before?! Since when do you know?! How far along are you?!"

I get up from my seat and take off my cape-coat. I frame my little bump to make it more noticeable under my sweater.

"I'm 16 weeks along, almost 17." I answer, with a hint of proud.

Conrad squeals with a huge smile and goes to hug me. "I can't believe it, love. I'm so happy for you, for you two, you deserve this so much!"

"Mommy, mommy, let me see, I want to see!" Allison is ecstatic and tries to lift my sweater.

"Calm down, honey." I say softly to calm her euphoria. "Come here." I take her little hands and place them on my bump. She gives me a huge smile. Then I do the same with Henry. I can't hold back the tears when he gives me a kiss on the belly. I hug him tightly.

"When will my sibling be here?" Henry asks.

"In about 6 months, champion." Owen answers him.

"That's a long time!" Allison complains.

"Well, you'll have to wait, honey." I say.

The atmosphere is one of happiness and celebration. Conrad and Jacob congratulate Owen too and after minutes of more hugs, laughter and tears we finally sat down to dinner. Minutes later Owen is interrupted by his cell phone.

"I'll be back in a sec." He tells me and gets up from his seat to go out and answer.

Owen comes back about 10 minutes later and looks thoughtful, but not worried, I can say that in his lips dance a smile. "Everything ok, love?"

"It was my mother... she and Megan are in France and they want to come visit us…"


	15. Chapter 15

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **I know I said I would update in "a couple of days" but the truth is that I was a little tentative. I feel that some of you had high expectations about this update and I don't know if it will live up to them.**_ ** _My other fic is flopping and it is for a reason, which means is not liking, so i was fearing to post this but i promised so here it is. By the way, this is the penultimate chapter which means next is the end. I've been thinking on updating the end of this and the rest of the other to be finaly over with all my fics, but i will think about it._**

 _ **This is a LOOONG chapter, to make up for the long wait, so get comfortable.**_

 _ **Reviews are welcome!**_

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 15**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

As usual every morning when I wake up, Owen is looking at me intently.

"You know? This is getting a little creepy."

He laughs softly and kisses me on the forehead. "I can't get enough of you."

I laugh with him and snuggle up next to him, enjoying the calm and warmth of our bedroom before the twins come in with their laughter. Owen spoons me, burying his nose in my hair, breathing me in and cupping my belly, rubbing it with his thumb.

"Your belly button is starting to pop."

"It'll pop more or disappear completely. One of two." Suddenly I have a little déjà vu, I had dreamed of a moment similar to this a few years ago, when I was pregnant with the twins. Owen and I in bed, he making fun of my belly button.

"Teddy? Teddy!" Owen calls my name. "You zoned out." He chuckles.

I take his hand and kiss it on the top, snuggling even closer to him. "Sorry, I'm still a little sleepy."

"Do you want to sleep a little longer? I'll take care of the children." He kisses my shoulder softly.

"No, it's ok. Besides, I've to prep everything for the Megan and your mom."

"Are you excited?" He asks me, sounding excited himself. Even if he doesn't say it, I know how much he misses Megan and his mother, I know how much this visit means to him. For my part, I can't help feeling nervous. It has been more than 5 years since I last saw Megan and Evelyn, I've changed not only physically, but also mentally, I can say that I'm another person, I don't know how I'll react to see them again.

I'm afraid they hate me for not telling them about twins and for not telling them about the new baby yet. I've hardly talked to them much since Owen and I are together and part of the reason is my fear, I don't know how to act with them anymore and that hurts because I still love them.

"Teddy?"

I sigh. "I'm excited."

"But?" I smile sadly at him, he knows me so well.

"I'm scared... scared of being hated for having left them behind, for not telling you and them about the twins, for not telling them about the new baby."

He props up on his elbow and I turn lying on my back to look him in the face. "Teddy, they love you. They understand that everything that happened was not our fault and they don't hate you for that, on the contrary. They are excited to see you, to meet the twins. As for this little nugget." He places his hand on my growing belly, patting it softly. "It is our decision when and how to share the news with others. I love my sister and my mother, but this is something that only concerns you and me... and if tomorrow we decide that we want to become hippies and live in a camper is our decision. We decided to wait to share the news because is _our_ baby."

His words form a lump in my throat. He always has the right words for everything. "I know but—"

"But nothing. They don't hate you Teddy, and they will love the twins and love this new baby when we tell them the news."

"I don't know if there will be much to tell. I popped out in the last days. It'll be the first thing Megan and your mother will notice, mark my words."

Owen laughs and again wraps me in his arms. We both take our hands to my belly. "You are the most beautiful pregnant woman in all Landstuhl."

"Just Landstuhl?" I pretend to be offended.

"Ok, all of Germany."

"At least I expected something more like ' _all of Europe_ ' or I don't know, maybe ' _all the world_ ', but that's fine, surely over there are pregnant women more beautiful than me."

Owen laughs out loud and gives me a smacking kiss on the cheek. "You're impossible!"

We don't have more time to enjoy the warmth of our bed when the twins run in, laughing and screaming.

"Mommy, daddy, today is the day!" Allison shrieks jumping to bed followed by Henry.

"Today grandma Evelyn and auntie Megan will arrive!"

They lie in the middle of Owen and I and we all snuggle closer together to keep the warm in the cold morning.

"Are you excited?" Ironically, I am the one who asks the children that.

"A lot!" Allison exclaims. "Mary has an aunt and they play a lot. Do you think auntie Megan wants to play with me?"

"I'm sure she will want to." Owen replies.

"Ok, so we have to get up now to prepare everything to welcome Grandma and Aunt Megan."

I get out of bed and pull the sheets and the quilt making Owen and the twins complain and laugh.

We go with our day as planned. Owen and the twins go to the supermarket to buy everything we need for dinner and I stay at home making the last arrangements to Allison's room, where Evelyn and Megan will sleep during the next three weeks they will stay here.

Once Owen arrives with the groceries we both start making dinner while the twins take a short nap. It's 3 in the afternoon, Megan and Evelyn's flight is supposed to land at 3:30, plus train time from Frankfurt to here, they will arrive at perfect time for dinner.

The closer the time of their arrival the more anxious and frightened I feel. My heart beats in my throat and I feel a pressure in my chest. I don't know what's wrong with me, it's Evelyn and Megan, practically my family, but I still can't help feeling nervous to see them again after so many years.

"Oh no, no, no! Not nut. Megan is allergic to nuts, remember?" Owen stops me before I put a nuts in the salad.

"Oh yes, sorry, sorry. I forgot it like a stupid." I apologize shyly and take the knife chopping the peppers instead. I sweat and my hands shake, it doesn't take long until " _Ouch!_ " I cut my finger.

"Teddy! Are you ok?!" Owen takes a small towel and wraps my hand putting pressure on my finger that bleeds in ridiculous amounts. "Teddy, you are shaking!"

"I-I... I'm fine, it's just a cut." I take back my hand from Owen's, but my finger bleeds again creating small threads of blood running through my hand.

"Teddy, you could've cut an artery, in that case you and the baby may be in danger! At least let me check the wound or let me take you to the ER!"

"It doesn't even hurt that much. I'm surprised you don't think about the amount of blood vessels in the hands!" Owen was starting to exasperate me and that was translating into a stinging headache.

"But we won't know until we check—"

"Can you please stop, for fuck's sake?!" I shout at him.

We both fall into a silence so uncomfortable that shakes everything inside me. I can feel my whole body tremble. Owen looks at me confused and hurt, of course he is hurt. I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, nor do I recognize myself.

I take a deep breath trying not to burst into tears. "I... I need 10 minutes for myself." Without giving Owen time to say anything else, I turn around and lock myself in our bedroom, lying in bed to cry.

"What's wrong with me?" I whimper. I don't know what's happening to me, this isn't just about nervousness because of Evelyn and Megan's visit or pregnancy hormones, this is something else but I don't know what it is, but if it is what I think it is…

After crying my eyes out for several minutes I stop crying, I lie in bed hugging my legs, I don't realize when I fall asleep. When I wake up I hear that in the kitchen Owen keeps preparing everything for dinner and talks with the twins. I look at the clock, it's past 5 in the afternoon. I sit on the bed staring at the window. I look at my hand that stopped bleeding a long time ago. I feel so guilty about how I talked to Owen, I don't know how I will look him in the face.

As if invoked, Owen comes to the bedroom slowly opening the door. His expression is neutral, shows neither anger nor sadness.

"Dinner is ready and the children too." Owen tells me in a voice as neutral as his face. "I'll take a quick shower. Megan called me that they will be here in about half an hour."

Without saying anything else he goes to the bathroom but I stop him taking him by the wrist. "Owen... I... I'm sorry." Again the lump in my throat. "I don't know what happened to me… I… it wasn't my intention to talk to you like that. I know how you care and why you care and I am an idiot and—"

"Teddy, Teddy." He interrupts me and kneels in front of me. "That… it hurt, I won't say it didn't and I want to understand you… Is there something that is bothering you, something that worries you? If you want, I can tell Megan and my Mother not to—"

"No! No, no, no, please no! I don't know what's wrong with me, Owen. That's it."

"Do you want us to talk about it?"

"Yes… but not right now, ok? Now the important thing is to receive your mom and Megan."

He smiles at me softly and kisses my hand, I ruffle his hair. "Does it hurt?" He asks me referring to my wound.

"A little, but it has stopped bleeding."

He smiles and nods. Then his smile grows bigger when he places his hand on my bump. "It must think its mommy is crazy." I say.

"Just a little."

We both remain silent and then it happens. "Oh, my God! Did you feel that?!" Owen exclaims enthusiastically when he feels the baby kick.

"Of course I felt it!" I laugh.

He pokes and pats my belly. "Hi there little one, it's daddy. Did you know it can hear sounds already?" Owen is so excited and that just makes me feel more guilty about how I talked to him a couple of hours ago.

I don't say anything else, I let him marvel at our baby's little movements until it seems to fall asleep. Owen and I finish getting ready until the time comes.

"Mom and Megan are at the train station. They will be here in less than ten minutes." Owen informs the twins and me excited.

The twins jump excitedly and I smile at them. My heart beats hard against my chest and my hands sweat, yet I try to show as relaxed as possible in front of Owen and our children.

We check the last details of dinner when they knock on the door. Owen looks at me smiling broadly and goes to open the door. The twins run to me and hug me by the legs giggling between them.

"Mom!" Owen hugs his mother as soon as he opens the door.

"Oh son, I missed you so much!"

"Hi, stranger. Isn't there a hug for me?" Megan says and Owen hugs her sister tightly lifting her off the floor.

"Get in, get in!" Owen helps them with their luggage. "Everything is ready for dinner. Are you hungry?"

"I'm hungry but where is—" Megan stops when she sees me. "TEDDY!"

She runs and gives me a tight hug. "I'm so glad to see you again." She whispers in my ear in a trembling voice. When she pulls back I can see the tears running down her cheeks, she wipes them and smiles. Then she squats in front of the children who are still hugging my legs and looking at Megan and Evelyn shyly.

"Hi little ones. I'm Megan, Auntie Megan, I'm very happy to meet you."

"I'm Allison." Allison introduces herself standing in front of Megan and offering her small hand.

On the other hand, Henry hugs tighter of my leg. "It's ok baby. It's Auntie Megan. Remember how excited you were to meet her?" He nods slowly.

"Hello." He says in a low voice while still hugging my leg and biting the nail of his thumb. Megan seems to understand so she just ruffles his hair and gives him a smile.

"Children, come and say hello to Grandma." Owen says.

Allison immediately runs to Evelyn again to introduce herself. "Hi grandma, I'm Allison!"

Evelyn opens her arms to Allison and she doesn't hesitate to hug her. Owen, Megan and I looked at each other touched. Evelyn cries while hugging Allison.

"You're so beautiful."

"Thanks grandma."

"Mommy." Henry whispers to me. "I want to greet Grandma."

I squat in front of him. "Then go, my love. It's okay, grandma is very excited to be here."

Henry smiles at me shyly and walks tentatively to where Owen and Evelyn are. Henry stands in front of his grandmother, she opens her arms to him and after thinking about it for a few seconds he finally throws himself into Evelyn's arms.

"I was so excited to meet you little one. Your dad told me so much about you and your sister."

After the emotional encounter between Evelyn and the twins I go to greet her. She gives me a tight hug and kisses me on the cheek.

"I can't believe it." She whispers in my ear and I know what she means. I can't believe it either. "Ok, wait a moment!" She pulls back and looks at me attentively and questioningly. Then her gaze goes to my middle section. Owen and I shared a look and smile, at that moment Evelyn realizes.

"Oh my God, you're pregnant!" Evelyn exclaims in amazement.

"WHAT?!" Megan shouts and goes to me. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, YOU'RE PREGNANT!" Owen laughs and Evelyn sheds some tears while Megan hugs me. "WE ARE HAVING A BABY! Oh my God, I am so happy!"

"Why you didn't tell us anything?!" Evelyn asks.

"We wanted it to be a surprise." Owen replies to his mother.

"How far along are you? Do you know if it will be a boy or a girl? I want all the details!" Megan exclaims eagerly, and so many questions overwhelm me. Soon Owen notices and intervenes.

"Why don't we talk about this during dinner? Surely you're hungry."

We all go to the table where everything is ready for dinner.

 _ **OWEN**_

We sit down to eat and everything goes in relative calm. The twins ask hundreds of questions to my mother and Megan and they are more than happy to answer each and every one. Henry looks more relaxed than a few moments ago and Allison is excited to introduce her friends to her auntie Megan and her grandma Evelyn. Once the twins have finished dinner, Teddy takes them to bed.

"But now tell us, Teddy, how far along are you?" Megan asks Teddy who has been silent most of the time. Smiling or answering with quiet monosyllables. I don't know what's wrong with her, I don't know what's upseting or bothering her, she hadn't shown any signs of being upset until this afternoon.

"Oh, 18 weeks, in 3 days I will turn 19."

"But why didn't you say anything?! I would've brought a gift or something for the baby. Have you thought about doing a baby shower? How about a gender reveal party? Do you already know if it will be a boy or a girl? Have you thought of names? Will it be born here in Germany?"

With every question that Megan asks I can see how Teddy's discomfort grows more and more. She scratches her neck and stirs in her seat, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Calm down sister!" I intervene. "We didn't say anything because we wanted it to be a surprise, in fact, we didn't say anything to anyone until the day you called telling them you were coming."

"But why not?!" Megan exclaims in amazement. "It's a baby, it's good news, it's something you should share with the family!"

"Megan." My mother intervenes. "They wanted it that way and we must respect it."

"I know. I'm sorry, I don't want to sound nosy or anything, but... it's a baby, and after... you know. But I am happy for you, you deserve this more than anyone else in the world."

"Thank you." Teddy mutters, taking Megan's hand with a light squeeze.

"And before you continue." I take Teddy's hand and kiss it on the top. "No, we don't know if it's a boy or a girl nor do we want to know until it's born, so no, no gender reveal party."

"But we can have a baby shower!"

"Oh... I don't know. I don't have many friends; I don't know if it would be a good idea." Teddy replies a little ashamed.

"Come on Teddy, it will be fun! It doesn't have to be a huge party, just you, mom and me, a girls' day."

"Megan, if Teddy says she doesn't want to, don't push her." My mother says in an attempt to make Megan understand our reasons.

"Sorry, sorry... it's just that I'm so excited."

"And I thank you so much. I promise I'll think about the baby shower, ok?"

We talk for a while longer, although in reality it is only Megan talking about how they did the last two weeks in Europe and how she and Nathan do in Seattle. Late at night I can see how Teddy looks more and more tired so I decide to postpone the talk for tomorrow and go to sleep.

"Well, why don't I show you the room where you will sleep?"

"Yes, please!" Megan says. "I'm exhausted!"

"You go; I'll stay to help Teddy clean up everything." My mother says.

"Oh no, no, no, Evelyn, you must be tired, I'll take care of everything."

"Nonsense. I'll help you."

Teddy just gives her a sweet smile and Megan and I go to Allison's room, where she and my mother will sleep.

"Owen, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Is everything okay between you and Teddy?"

I watch her frowning confused. "What kind of question is that?"

"I don't know, I notice her different, distant, even annoyed or angry."

"We're fine." I answer sounding somewhat defensive. "You haven't seen Teddy in more than 5 years, she has changed, we all have changed."

"I know and sorry, I didn't want to be indiscreet, it's just... brother, I've seen how you've suffered all these years and I just want you to be happy, that's all."

"And I appreciate the concern, but Teddy and I are fine, yes, with our disagreements, but you better than anyone know how marriage is like."

"What?! You're are married too and you didn't tell me anything?!"

"No, no, no. I meant life as a couple."

"Oh, for a moment I was about to kill you."

"I would never hide something like that."

"I know. And speaking of... have you thought about it?"

"The truth, no. Everything has been so fast since we met again, then Henry, work and now the new baby, but now that you mention it, I don't know, maybe."

Megan gives me a mischievous smile and a pat on the shoulder.

 _ **TEDDY**_

While Evelyn helps me pick up everything on the table and put the leftover food in containers and then in the fridge, I take care of washing the dishes.

"I can't believe how beautiful Allison and Henry are, they remind me of Megan and Owen when they were that age." Evelyn says.

"I know; it was the first thing I noticed when their features started to become clearer. How much they looked like Owen and Megan."

"Let's see who this new nugget will look like."

I smile and bring my hand to my baby bump.

"How do you feel? My pregnancy with Owen was so easy, but Megan… everything was so hard."

I debate whether or not I tell her how the pregnancy was at the beginning, in the false negative, in the threat of miscarriage and in everything that I've been feeling in the last days and that neither I understand. This pregnancy is also so different from that of the twins and at the same time so similar.

"I… I feel good. Tired, but well, I've lived tired since the twins were born."

"They are a handful."

I chuckle lightly. "A little. They are not misbehaved or anything, but… it was difficult when they were born."

"I know, Owen told me about that."

I feel that my throat closes when I remember those times and how difficult everything was. I don't realize that I'm crying until Evelyn is next to me.

"Hey, Teddy, is everything okay?" She offers me a handkerchief.

"Sorry, hormones." I try to laugh, but I fail.

"I've been watching you since I arrived, this is more than just hormones. Is there anything you want to talk about? We may not have seen each other in years, but remember that I will always be there when you need it, as it has always been."

I can't contain myself anymore and I throw myself into her arms crying. She takes me to my bedroom and closes the door. We sat on the bed and I keep crying, I can't stop. She shushes me while stroking my hair and my back and hugging me tightly.

After a few minutes my crying becomes light sobs. "I'm sorry." I sigh against Evelyn's neck.

She takes my face soaked in tears between her warm hands and looks me in the eye. "You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Do you understand me?"

I sit straight and wipe my face with my hands.

"If you wanna talk—"

"I don't even know where or how to start, I don't even know what's wrong with me!"

"Is it Owen, the kids, the baby, the job?"

"No, no, no! It's me, but... I'm supposed to feel immensely happy, I mean Owen and I are together, I love him with my whole being, my children are healthy and happy, we'll have another baby. I should feel immensely happy! But... for a few days now I don't know what happens to me, I can't stop thinking about my first pregnancy, how it was, how miserable I felt and how lonely I was, I can't stop replaying in my head over and over again how Allison was born there, on the cold floor of the bathroom, how I almost died giving birth to Henry... and then Owen... Owen is so happy about the twins and about this new baby and I feel so guilty because sometimes I don't feel like him, but when I feel happy for this new baby I remember that the twins had none of that and again I feel guilty and it's a never ending spiral of guilt and I don't know how to stop it and I'm afraid of hurting Owen or worse, I'm afraid it may split us."

And again I break in Evelyn crying, and again she comforts me sweetly. "Oh my girl."

"And I don't even know how to talk about this with Owen. Evelyn, you should see him, see how his eyes shine every time he plays with the children or his huge smile every time he talks to the baby. I don't want to ruin this for him."

"Hey honey, listen to me. You won't ruin anything for anyone. That's what a partner is for, to help you, to lift you up when you're down, and darling, you better than anyone know that Owen is the only one who can do that, he is the only one who understands you as nobody and you to him."

"This afternoon I screamed horrible at him, oh Evelyn, it was almost physically painful to see his face, he was so hurt. Imagine if I tell him how I feel." I can't even see Evelyn in the face.

Evelyn looks at me tenderly and places my hair behind my ear. "He will understand; I'm one hundred percent sure that he will. What you feel, Teddy, is perfectly normal… I felt the same way when I was pregnant with Megan, I felt like I was neglecting my little boy and that made me feel terrible."

"And how did you do it? How did you get over it?"

"With love."

I laugh softly. "I… I know this is not an excuse, but… since I was pregnant with the twins I've been fighting depression. It comes and goes when I least expect it and when it comes... I've to put it on the back of my head, indefinitely postpone my five minutes to cry because I don't have time and because my children can't see me like that... but one way or another since Owen is with us again I feel that the burden is less on me… I love, love, I love him _so_ much Evelyn, you have no idea how much I love him and how happy he makes me… this isn't fair to him."

"Everything you went through wasn't something we see every day. It was sad and unfair and you had to be strong for yourself and the children and you had to shut up so many things, but now you are not alone, you have Owen and you will see that between the two the burden will be less."

I hug Evelyn tightly. "Thank you." Whisper.

"You have nothing to thank me for, my love. I'll always be there when you need me."

"Teddy, are you—?" Owen comes to the room looking for me. "Mom? What's going on?" He sits next to me and when he notices my red and puffy eyes. "Hey love, is everything alright? Mom, what's going on?"

"I think she has to talk to you. Good evening." Evelyn replies standing up and leaving the room.

"Honey, what's up?" Owen asks me cupping my face.

I take his face in my hands and kiss him passionately. "I love you so much". I whisper.

I proceed to tell Owen everything. How I feel and my fears. How much I love him, how much I love our children and how grateful I am for them and for him. He listens to me intently, letting me vent, comforting, loving me in his very Owen way, without judgments, always understanding.

It is past 1 am when we settle down in bed to sleep. I hug his torso tightly, he caresses my side and kisses the top of my head.

"I will always, always be here with you Teddy. No matter how difficult and black it gets, I will always be by your side."

"I know, and sorry for not telling you how I felt before. I didn't want to tarnish your happiness."

"You are not tarnishing anything, why are we together for if it is not to support each other?"

"Hey, I've been thinking and... I think Megan's idea of the baby shower isn't that bad after all."

"Really? Teddy, if you don't—"

"I do want it! When I was pregnant with the twins Conrad made me a gender reveal party, only he and I… it was perhaps the only day I felt happy."

"Megan will make it very special, you'll see. She's over the moon for this new baby." Owen slides down on the bed placing his face next to my bump. "Just like daddy is over the moon for it."

I laugh and rub my bump. "He or she will be a very spoiled baby. Its parents, siblings, uncles and aunt _and_ grandma will make it a brat."

"That always happens with the second child, just look at Megan."

I laugh out loud. "She will kill you if she hears you!"

"Probably." Owen laughs. Then he attacks my bump with kisses here and there making me laugh.

"Owen stop, it's time to sleep!" I giggle. "I'll be moody in the morning if you don't let me sleep!"

"Wooow, that's a terrifying threat!" Owen stops and raises his hands playfully in redemption.

"Asshole!" I slap him on the shoulder and pull him from his pajamas shirt to me to kiss him. Owen hovers me and I give him space between my legs. He caresses my legs as he kisses not only my lips, but also my neck, my chest, my breasts, making me moan. "Owen." I sigh his name.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you want to sleep." He whispers seductively against the skin of my neck and when he tries to pull back I stop him by trapping him, circling his hips with my legs and his neck with my arms, keeping him close to my body.

"Shut up and make love to me." I say against his lips. The rest is a blur of emotions, feelings and fireworks.

The next few days I feel better, although not entirely. I'm struggling with depression, that doesn't go away overnight, but certainly after the talk with Evelyn and Owen I feel much better. I still have my moments, but Owen understands and gives me my space, in general everything is good. Evelyn and Megan are over the moon with the children, each morning they both accompany me to drop them and pick them up from school. Megan spends the afternoon playing with them and Evelyn helps me cook dinner every night.

They are being so helpful, the second trimester is killing me, I feel exhausted for most of the day, the morning sickness isn't gone yet, my back hurts just like the tendons of my pelvis that stretch to accommodate my little one that every day becomes more and more active. Morning sickness, congestion and nosebleeds are almost an everyday thing. But all in all I'm happy. My baby is healthy and my pregnancy develops normally. The whole family is thrilled and that makes me feel warm inside. At the end of all this discomfort I will be rewarded with my sweet baby.

It's all so beautiful that I fear I will miss all this when Megan and Evelyn leave. Which leads me to think about the possibility of moving to Seattle, but what about MedCom? I don't have anything in Seattle, not to mention my refugee clinics. There are more the cons than the pros of living in Seattle, I talked to Owen and he would love it too, but we both agree that for the moment it is best to stay in Germany.

The days keep going and the date when Evelyn and Megan will return to Seattle is getting closer and closer, which makes us all very emotional. But we decided to do the most of the time we have together. Everything blows up, in the best way, when Megan meets Conrad.

They are so similar that in seconds they click. Their laughter and good humor are so contagious that they give me a boost of energy when I feel more tired. It's thanks to them and their excessive enthusiasm for the new baby that I agree to have a baby shower. If it was difficult to deny Megan, when Conrad _and_ the twins joined together it was impossible to refuse. And, to tell the truth, deep down I was excited too. Although I remember with much love the small gender reveal celebration that Conrad did to me when I was expecting the twins, I never had a baby shower. Although sometimes that annoying shadow of guilt still appears, I am happy. All the people I love will be here to celebrate this new life and that is cause of joy.

"Can we get in now?!" I ask Owen.

"Not yet. Until Conrad calls me."

I sigh. We're waiting outside the house, Conrad and Megan won't let us in until everything is ready inside for the surprise. From early we were kicked out of the house so they could prepare everything for the baby shower.

"What are they doing?! What is taking them so long?!" I ask a little annoyed.

"It seems that you don't know Megan and Conrad, they always go big. I can assure you that whatever they are doing in there is anything but simple."

"I told them that I just wanted a small dinner and that's it. I don't want gifts, I'd rather they donate that money to the refugee clinic." I huff and roll my eyes.

Owen takes me by the shoulders facing me. "Ok, little hormonal monster, breathe. Everything is almost ready."

I sigh deeply. "Yes, but my bladder can't wait any longer. Your child has taken my bladder as a springboard and I'm peeing." I mutter through clenched teeth.

Owen laughs. "Think of something else. I don't know, puppies!"

"What?!"

"Distract your mind, don't think you want to pee and it will go away."

I look at him frowning. "Try to distract your mind when you have a 22 week baby jumping in your bladder and kicking your ribs. Let's see if it goes away!"

Owen laughs again and wraps me in his arms from behind, running his hands up and down my baby bump. "Sorry. But... you can try, come on. Think of... my kisses, my kisses on your neck, on your collarbone. My hands, my hands on your legs, on your hips." As Owen whispers these words in my ear he kisses my neck.

"O-Owen." I groan.

"Think of my body, and your body... naked, cold satin sheets."

"Hmmm."

"Oh, my God! You two really can't spend a minute without putting your hands on each other, isn't it?!" Conrad exclaims when he opens the door and finds us in such a show of affection, making us jump apart.

"Shut up and let me in!" I reply laughing.

"Wooop, wait!" Conrad pulls two masks from his pants pocket to blindfold us. "You won't ruin our surprise."

"Conrad, I want to go to the bathroom!" I complain as he covers Owen's eyes.

"You will go when you see the surprise... if you don't pee on your pants when you see it."

"I hate you so much!" Conrad covers my eyes and kisses me on the temple.

"Now, it's time." He takes us by the hand and directs us inside the house.

Once inside Conrad and Megan take the blindfolds from Owen and me. Everyone shouts _surprise_. All the people I love are here. My children, Evelyn, Megan, Conrad and Jacob. Owen and I run out of words and I start to cry.

Everything is so beautiful. Decorated in white and soft green. There are balloons everywhere. A small candy bar, a snack and a dessert table with a huge cake in the center, as well as a table with a ridiculous amount of gifts.

"Oh my God!" I cry and hug Owen. "All this is so beautiful!"

"Do you like it?" Evelyn asks me.

"It's more beautiful than I imagined. How did you do it?"

"I helped a lot!" Allison is proud to tell me that she helped prepare everything for her little sibling's baby shower.

"Me too!" Henry adds.

"Oh yes, this pair was the most helpful." Jacob points. "Especially this little perfectionist." He says referring to Allison. "Always inspecting everything was perfect."

"Thank you very much for all this, guys!" Owen says in a shaky voice and hugs me tightly.

The rest of the afternoon we all laugh until our bellies ache. Everything is perfect. The food and desserts are delicious, so much that I stuck in countless tartlets, jello, brownies, chocolates and marshmallows. Later it is time to open the presents.

"Guys... What did we say about the gifts?"

"Calm down woman!" Megan exclaims. "We also donate for your refugee clinic, because what is the point of a baby shower without gifts?"

I smile sweetly at her.

"Ok, first gift!" Conrad says, handing me a box wrapped in purple paper with a huge white bow. I open it and inside is a beautiful baby carrier.

"Awww, It's beautiful!"

I open and open presents and it seems that I will never finish, between Conrad, Megan and Evelyn they've practically set up a whole nursery. From diapers and baby supplies, to a stroller, car seat and clothes, _lots_ of clothes.

"I can't believe you all!" I thank them all with tears in my eyes.

"I think there's a gift missing." Owen points out.

"Is it? Where?"

"Here." Owen hands me a small white box with an white ribbon.

I undo the bow and open the box, inside is a ring with a huge diamond. All gasp amazed and my vision is clouded with pooled tears. When I look up Owen is already down on one knee in front of me.

"Teddy—"

"YES, I DO!" I exclaim long before he can say something. I make him and everyone else laugh. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't even let you ask. Let's do it again. Oh my god, I'm ruining this, pretend I didn't say anything—"

Again he bursts into laughter. "God! You are so beautiful." He takes my face in his hands and kisses me with all the passion in the world, then he takes my hand and places the ring on my finger. "I love you, I want to spend each and every day that I have left of life at yours and our children's side." He says against my lips.

In the background I can hear everyone laugh and cry with joy, but they are only noises in the background. Right now it's just Owen and me. After all what we've been through, we're getting married…


	16. Chapter 16

_*****ENGLISH ISN'T MY LANGUAGE*****_

 _ **Hello, it's me...**_

 _ **Hi, guys, im back, i guess. I've**_ ** _had this since Friday but I've been so afraid to publish it. I feel that I've created so many expectations around this last chapter and I fear not living up to the hype I made._**

 ** _I apologise in advance if this sucks. I tryed my best, i swear._**

 ** _So here it is. Last chapter. I loved and love this fic so much and i am so glad so many of you like it too._**

 ** _I'm officially done with all my fics, i don't know when i'll be back with something new, i have a few ideas but very vage to write about them._**

 ** _Anyway, i hope you love this and if you don't i hope you don't hate me._**

 ** _Love XO!_**

* * *

 _ **CHAPTER 16**_

* * *

 _ **TEDDY**_

It takes me a fraction of seconds to realize that I am not in my bedroom when I wake up. Owen is asleep next to me with his hand on my hip and his face buried in the back of my neck, it's hot and the bed is covered by a thin white mesh hanging from the ceiling. I feel confused at first, but it just takes to listen the sound of the sea to react completely and remember that, in fact, we are not in Landstuhl, we are in Santorini, we are here for our wedding.

I get out of bed carefully so as not to wake Owen. I go to the next room to check on the twins who are still sound asleep. Deciding that I don't want to go back to bed, I go out to the terrace, the sun is just starting to rise over the horizon, the dark night waters are taking their characteristic clear blue as the sunlight hits them.

I stretch a little, I'm getting so big and so heavy. Two months. I repeat myself in my mind. Two months to finally have our little one in arms. Every day I imagine its face, its eyes, its hair. I imagine if it will be a boy or a girl, if it will look like Owen or me, or a mixture of both. If it will be as outgoing as Allison or as sweet as Henry.

"You're running out of space in there, aren't you, sweet pea?" I pat my round belly. I've felt so much better since that day that I talked to Evelyn. Also, since I'm a stay at home mom I've bonded more with some of the other moms at the twins' school and I've realized that what I feel is completely normal, all moms tend to feel a little guilty when the second baby comes.

In general, I've felt much better, although physically I am more tired every day, my mental health has improved. Henry and Allison are so excited for the new baby, they are as protective of me as Owen is, they fight for talking with it and laying their heads on my baby bump, yes, Owen also fights with them, it's adorable to see them fight to feel the baby move, Owen is another child with them. We are happy, we are immensely happy.

I decide to sit on the edge of the terrace to see the sunrise, I sit carefully hanging my legs by the edge, under my feet the beautiful white houses with blue roofs of Santorini, with its narrow streets and stairs.

I watch as the sun rises and becomes brighter with each passing minute, it's breathtaking.

"Get down of here if you don't want me to have a heart attack." Owen surprises me by whispering in my ear and wrapping his arms around me.

I laugh and lean against his chest, he hugs me tighter and kisses me on the cheek, running his hands up and down my baby bump.

"What are you doing awake so early?"

"It's 7 in the morning, 6 in Germany, it's not early."

Owen laughs. "Love, you've been getting up not before 10 in the morning in the last weeks."

"Can you blame me? Your child has me exhausted!"

"You're almost there." He rubs my belly.

"But what are you doing up so early, you should sleep until late, you work so hard."

"Arizona called, she, Callie and Sofia just landed in Athens, they will be here past noon."

I turn in his arms looking at him excitedly. "Really!"

"Ok, you have to get down of here, my heart stops thinking you can fall over the edge."

Owen helps me down from where I am sitting and we return to the bedroom. We go back to bed and snuggle close to each other. "As I said, Callie, Arizona and Sofia are already in Athens, they will be here for lunch."

"I can't wait to see them I miss them so much!"

"Bailey and Webber are still in London, but they will be here tomorrow."

"I'm so glad we reconnected with our friends in Seattle."

"Me too. Webber and Bailey helped me so much in the last years, I couldn't do this without them."

"I'm so happy, Owen. I can't believe how much our lives have changed in less than a year. A year ago I was planning a vacation without knowing that it would change my life."

"That it would change _our_ lives."

He smiles and I hug him tighter. Minutes later Allison wakes up and joins us in bed, then Henry follows. The four of us remain in bed talking and laughing. The twins are delighted with the place, for the first time in a long time Henry hasn't thought about staying in his room with his legos, he wants to go out and explore the place, enter all the souvenir shops and take photos with my cell phone or Owen's, apparently he has found a new hobby, since he loves to take our cell phones and take photos and videos all the time. Everyone is always happy to pose and smile for him.

"Daddy, can we go to the pool now? I want you to keep teaching me to swim!" Henry asks Owen while jumping in bed, immediately Allison follows.

"Yes, yes, yes, I want to go to the pool too!"

"Not now, children." Owen replies.

They drop to their knees in bed. "Why?!" They exclaim in unison with a pout.

"Because first we have to go to breakfast with the family."

"After that, can we go to the pool?"

"We'll see." I say. "There are many things to do today."

We still have to meet the wedding planner at the place where the ceremony will take place to corroborate the last details. Although everything is practically ready, we have to give the final approval before the rehearsal, which will be tomorrow and then Owen and I will be saying " _I do_ " while the sun sets in Santorini.

Just imagining it speeds up my heart and my skin bristles, it's what I always dreamed, what _we_ always dreamed and believed that would never be possible. Today, we are only two days away from officially join our lives and only two months from completing our family. It makes me want to cry.

After having breakfast with our family, we take a walk around Santorini, with some stops to catch my breath between so many ramp streets and small stairs. When we receive the call from Arizona that they are already in the hotel, we immediately go there. Everything is screams of joy, hugs, tears and laughter.

"I missed you so, so, so much!" Arizona tells me as she hugs me tightly.

"I can't believe I'm seeing you again, I thought I would never see you again!" I answer crying with joy.

The rest of the day we spend it on the beach, at night we have dinner at a cozy restaurant with dozens of light bulbs illuminating the terrace and a beautiful view of the island. The next day Bailey and Richard arrive and again there are too many things to do. When I realize I am sitting in a chair where I'm getting my hair and makeup done for the wedding.

I haven't seen Owen since last night. Megan and Conrad insisted that we should sleep in separate bedrooms and that we shouldn't see each other until the ceremony or it would be bad luck. We both laughed at their occurrence, but they are Megan and Conrad, there is no way to beat them, especially when they team up. So we slept and got ready in separate rooms.

Maybe it's ridiculous, but I already miss him, I already want to see him, I already want to hug him, I already want to kiss him, I already want to tell him _I do_ , I already want to see him in the face and swear that I will love him for the rest of my life.

 _ **OWEN**_

I haven't seen Teddy in almost 20 hours and it's driving me completely crazy. I can't wait to see her, see her walk towards me, have her next to me and say _I do_ , I can't wait to swear that I will be hers and will love her and our children each and every one of my days.

I fight with the knot of my tie. My hands are shaking. Seeing this Nathan approaches me and fix it, then someone knocks on the door. It's Conrad.

"Hunt, it's time!"

My heart skips a beat and I feel like I'm going to faint. I breathe deeply more than anything to control my overwhelming enthusiasm. Richard, Nathan, Conrad and I headed to where the ceremony will take place. A beautiful terrace decorated with hundreds of white flowers, everything is white, Teddy wanted it that way. Both decoration and everyone's clothes.

I stand in front of the arch of flowers where both the priest and the judge are already waiting. We decided to do both ceremonies at the same time, we want to be joined by all means, by all laws. At first I wasn't very sure of the religious ceremony, for me the most important thing was to be legally husband and wife, I am not an exactly religious person. But since the twins were born, Teddy had become very close to God, the virgin and religion and I can't judge that. Those are her beliefs, and if that makes her feel good I won't judge her, and if she wants a religious ceremony we will have it. Anything to see her happy. Besides, I could use some divine blessing.

Everyone is already sitting in their respective places. It's a small and intimate ceremony. Only our closest people. My mom, Megan, Nathan and Farouk; Conrad and Jacob; Richard, Bailey, Arizona, Callie, Sofia and 5 army friends, nobody else.

I'm getting impatient, we're all waiting, but Teddy doesn't come out.

"Where is she?" I ask Conrad, my best man.

"Calm down, she's already on her way."

Then the music begins. Henry and Allison appear throwing white petals and with the rings. Behind them Teddy. I think my heart has stopped, although then I feel it pounding hard against my chest.

She is a vision in white. She looks stunning in her vaporous white dress that frames her beautiful bump, with touches of lace and crystals that glow with the evening light. Her hair is loose in waves with a beautiful crystal headband. I can't wait for her to reach me, I want to run to her, take her in my arms and kiss her. I can't help crying either. Conrad puts his hand on my shoulder and gives me a slight squeeze.

"She looks beautiful". I sigh in a broken voice.

"She does." He answers.

When she finally reaches my side I take her hand and tell her in the face how beautiful she looks, she blushes and smiles sweetly at me, trying to hold back the tears.

Both ceremonies are beautiful and in the end I kiss Teddy with all the love in the world. Finally, we are husband and wife. We are officially the Altman-Hunt family. That same day we not only got married, the judge also gave us all the documents saying that Allison and Henry are officially Altman- _Hunt_.

After the ceremony we go to another terrace where the small party will be, in the mere Greek style we break dishes and dance. This day cannot be more perfect. Everyone dance and laugh. I can say, without fear of being wrong, that I am the happiest man in the universe.

"Marriage really suits you, Mrs. Hunt." I say while Teddy and I dance to the gentle rhythm of " _When We Were Young_ " by Adele. She laughs shyly and looks at me with her huge green eyes that shine brighter than the huge full moon in the sky.

"I can say the same, Mr. Hunt. Marriage makes you look more cheerful. Your wife is so lucky."

"Well, my wife hasn't treated me very well lately, she's been a little moody."

"I think she has her reasons, she is growing a human while taking care for two kids and was organizing a wedding, cut her some slack, be patient."

"And I will have all the patience in the world, she can eat me alive if she wants."

We both laugh out loud at our banter and kiss each other gently.

"Now we just need our little one."

"She or he will be perfect."

 _TWO MONTHS LATER_

"Owen, come on, step on the gas!" Teddy complains, panting heavily as I drive through the lonely streets of Landstuhl at 2 in the morning.

"We are almost there, we are almost there! Breathe, remember the breathing exercises, you can do this, you are a warrior, you've got this, Major!" I try to calm her down and sound as relaxed as possible, but inside I am a basket case. Teddy had had contractions since last night, but they didn't become significantly strong until this morning, from there everything has moved relatively quickly, and right now her contractions are 5 minutes apart.

We arrive at the Regional Medical Center and Teddy is admitted immediately.

"Major Hunt, can you wait a few minutes outside while we help your wife change?"

"NO!" Teddy cries. "Please don't go, don't leave me alone, please!"

I take her face in my hands. "Honey, it's only a few minutes, no more."

"No, no, no, please don't go, I don't want to be alone!" She cries.

"Major Altman, you won't be alone and it will be only a few minutes, while we help you put in the gown and give you check." The nurse tries to tell her.

"I said no! He is my husband, he has seen me naked more times than you can imagine, so he will stay!" Teddy fires back with no place to reply.

In the end it's me who helps her take off her clothes and put on her gown. After a check the OB informs us that she is 6 centimeters dilated, Teddy is given the epidural and as the anesthesia takes effect she calms down more and more.

Things progress steady, nurses let us alone and I sit by her bed, holding her hand at all times.

"Sorry for reacting all crazy with the nurses." She apologizes in a soft voice.

"Hey, that's fine, today you are allowed to do and say whatever you want."

"But I... I overreacted... it's just that... the last time came to my mind... how I did it all alone, and I know it's stupid—"

"It's not stupid." I interrupt her. "I know how painful and traumatic Henry and Allison's birth was, it's normal for you to feel fear, but you know that I _will_ _not_ go anywhere, I will be here all the time by your side, holding your hand, every step of the way. And not only today, always."

"I love you so much." She whimpers.

"I love you more."

Things continue to progress and by 5 in the morning Teddy is already fully dilated. The epidural worked wonders on her since she is quite calm, and if there is any pain, she doesn't show it.

I put my arm around her shoulders, wipe her sweat and stroke her hair while I encourage her.

"That's it Major Altman, you're doing it great!" The OB encourages her at all times too.

Everything is so quiet, so peaceful. Even the light in the room is low, everything is so intimate. After a few pushes, Teddy falls limb on my arm panting in relief while our little one makes its arrival known with a shrill cry.

"Congratulations Major Altman and Major Hunt, you have beautiful baby boy!"

Teddy takes our little one right away and I hug them both. She rocks him immediately, calming his cries and whispering loving words. I am speechless, he is so perfect, ten fingers and toes, his skin so pink and soft, and his strawberry blond hair.

"What's his name?" The OB asks us.

"Daniel." We both answer at the same time. From the first moment we knew that if it was a boy that would be his name, there were _no more_ options.

 _Daniel Altman-Hunt._ Born in Landstuhl, Germany at 5:20 a.m. 3,300 kg, 45 centimeters. Perfect in every way. A piece of me and the love of my life.

Hours later my mother arrives with the twins who are completely ecstatic to finally meet their little brother. Allison complains for a moment since she wanted a sister, and makes us promise her that we will give her one soon. Henry on the other hand looks at his little brother marveled and keeps kissing him and caressing his little head, once we put him in his arms he didn't want to let him go.

And so, we are finally complete. Everything we went through, everything we suffered is now irrelevant. Now we are happy, and we will continue to be, each and every day.

* * *

 _ **THE END**_


End file.
